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PAGE 22, WEDNESDAY. JULY 17. 1985, WIIITI3Y FREFF PRESS ~ Members upset, Fox says.... :Optini'st soce er l' MI A joint proposai by the qute receptive. Whitby Optimist Club Originally, the clubs -Aam ntyioui na.poos-- ra _________ Ail ~Los & Styles L --LIMIT ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER Soccer Club to develop a major soccer complex on a piece of town owned land on Rossland Rd. W. has been rejected by Whitby Town Council. The clubs had proposed to develop seven soccer pitches, two basebali diamonds, an exercise trail and other facilities on a 34- acre piece of land in the Rossland Rd. and Cochrane St. area. And the town's rejec- tion of the proposai has upset the Optimist Club, according to vice- president Dennis Fox. Fox told the Free Press in an interview last week that when the proposai was first made in 1982 "the town was the land solely for soc- cer pitches but at the town's insistance, Fox said, other facilities were included in the plan. The Optimists even promised a cash con- tribution of about $11o,oOO which would be coupled with another $40,000 to $50,000 from the minor soccer organization. The town, Fox said, even suggested what piece of land would -be suitable for such a project. "lWe were happy to take anything a t ail, " he said, "we were willing to take any piece of land." The clubs also paid the recreational plan- ning f irm of Henry Kor- tekkas and Associations to prepare a formal report on the project, including an estimated cost of $457,000. Fox said that ail they wanted as "a basic fun- ctional field", however, the town kept adding additional requirements such as washroom facilities and proper outdoor lighting for night games. "Little by little, the town upped the requirements" Fox said until the project "1just went out of our ball park, financially." By the time the proposal was finally rejected, Fox said that the town had taken the attitude of "no, you can't have that piece of land, it's too valuable. " He was also critical of Whitby Town Council for making its final decision behind closed doors. Fox also said that the club was prepared to donate more than the $11o,ooo it had originally promised. "O0ver the course of years, we could have added more," he said. But as far as the Op- timist Club is concerned "lthis particular facility is definitely dead," Fox added. IlWe were negotiated right out of the deal," he continued, IlWe have pulled out . ..our com- mitment was for a soc- lark proposai rejected While there are "a lot of bad feelings" amnong club members, the Kir- by Cres. resident said that they are stili com- mitted to spending that money in the com- munity on other worth- while projects. "We are still commit- ted to spending the money we raised in the community," he said adding that the club is already entertaining some ideas. "We're open for any ideas," Fox said repeating that "the money will definitely be spent in the com- munity. " At $1.2 million.. Soccer plan too expensive Bugelli says Sunroofs tight - flush open Up mount dimension of driving pleasure. Th ree- position, tem pered safety glass. design. Backed by ZI EBART'S Lifetime Limited Warranty APPEARANCE & PROTECTION SERVICES CALL TO-DA Y FOR AN APPOINTMENT AMI UflDUfI-qT- WHITBY afu,-~ ~ ~M~~________ A proposal by the Whitby Optimist Club and the Whitby Iroquois Soccer Club to develop a large soccer facility was simply too expensive, according to West Ward Coun. Joe Bugelli. Bugelli, chairman of the town's park and recreation department, told the Free Press Monday night that in- dependant engineering studies confirmed that the development of the complex would cost $1.2 million - not the $457,000 suggested by the two clubs. "Council could not see its way clear to suppor- ting that kind of projeet, " he said. After the clubs proposal was received, Bugelli said that council directed that a complete engineering study be prepared on the 34-acre site on Rossland Rd. W. just east of Cochrane St. According to Bugelli, that study showed that it would cost $300,000 just to grade the land for use as a series of soccer pit- ches. The chairman added that in its examination of the project, the town studied all aspects of the project including the cost of installing proper outdoor lighting and other facilities needed. ",We looked at the complete cost of com- pleting the project," Bugelli said adding that in the proposal submit- ted by the clubs the cost anaylis was general and not alI encompassing. While the town was pleased that the clubs were willing to donate at least $150,000 towards the project, funding from other sources, such as Wintario grants were not available, Bugelli said. That means the town would have to bear the entire cost and that was something it just couldn't afford. "We were advised that no money could be made available from Wintario, " he said. The proposai was prompted because the soccer club didn't have enough pitches available for regular play. Bugelli said that the town has agreed to provide three new regulation size pitches on the south side of Vic- toria St. immediately across from the Iroquois Park Arena, next to the rugby pitch at the cor- ner of Gordon St. Bugelli noted that the development of these three fields will cost $w000O and that the soc- cer organization has already donated $20,000 of that cost. "The perceived problemn was a lack of soccer pitches and the answer to that is to find new soccer pitches," Bugelli said. "So now the whole thing is tied together at a fraction of the cost." "I think we have ad- dressed the need," he continued adding that new soccer fields will be immediately accessible to the Iroquois Park Complex which is due for a substantial expan- sion sometime nex.t year. 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