10 Friday, March 11, 2022brooklintowncrier.com Town council has approved a new capital project fund of $52,000 for the development of a temporary cricket field on the grounds of Brooklin Memorial Park. It will be funded by the Growth Capital Reserve Fund. Cricket, according to staff report CMS 04-22, will be considered in the 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and a strategy is to be developed for the creation of permanent cricket facilities in Whitby. According to the staff report, "Cricket has been identified as an emerging sport in the Durham Region. Community Services staff has worked with Whitby Cricket to permit multi-use fields for temporary cricket pitches since the 2020 season, and have received requests from other cricket organizations for permitted space." One section of the staff report was titled "Communication and Public Engagement." It stated that Community Services staff "engaged Whitby Cricket in discussions regarding the suitability of the Brooklin Memorial Park location…Staff have also met with the President of Brooklin Spring Fair to discuss possible field amendments and to mitigate any issues relating to shared use of the park." No community engagement However, neither residents of the area, especially those on St. Thomas St. adjacent to the grounds, nor businesses at the north end of that street were consulted or made aware of the plan. One business representative, when informed of the project, expressed surprise at the announcement and wondered about how it might affect parking for their business. The BTC contacted John Romano, Whitby Commissioner of Community Services, with questions about the project. Below are the questions and his responses, verbatim: 1 - Why has there been no communication or consultation with residents of this part of Brooklin, specifically the residents of St. Thomas St.? As I mentioned above (editor's note: in his email to BTC), to date we have been working collabora- tively with local stakeholders, including the Whitby Cricket Club, to bring forward this opportunity. We look forward to sharing this good news more broadly with residents and doing targeted outreach this spring to those who live and own businesses within the area prior to the planned opening of the pitch this summer. The sport of cricket has been growing in popularity within Whitby and this temporary space will help respond to this significant community interest. The Whitby Cricket Club will be working to develop an inclusive program for the space that will be open to the entire community. 2 - There are also businesses at the northern end of the street. Were they consulted or informed? (eg. CB Pools, Manchu, MichaelKelly's, C-Store) Businesses in the area around the park will certainly be part of our targeted outreach planned for this spring. We are always open to receiving feedback from our community. 3 - Will there be any such communication or consultation? If so, in what form? We will be sharing more information and doing targeted outreach on this project this spring. Direct mail-outs to those who live and own businesses in the area around the park will be the primary means of communication and we welcome everyone's thoughts and ideas. In addition, the Whitby Cricket Club will be working with neighbours in the area to ensure that any concerns are addressed as best as possible. 4 - With the project approved, what happens if residents/ or businesses voice concerns and/or objections? Does the town have a contingency plan? We will listen to any concerns that are brought forward by our community. This site was selected for the cricket pitch as the size of the track infield offers a unique opportunity to accommodate the sport of cricket, while continuing to provide ample space for residents to access the park for other recreational activities like soccer, dog walking or lacrosse. In addition, there will be space for waste bins, storage and parking to support players and limit any impact to neighbours. 5 - What will happen to the grounds after the expiry of "temporary"? With the planned opening of the Whitby Sports Complex (working name) slated for 2025, a master plan will be conducted for the entire Luther Vipond Memorial Arena and Brooklin Memorial Park in 2024. This public process will determine the future of the entire site and will be based on feedback we receive from our residents. 6 - Given the grounds will be leveled, cut and maintained, will anyone else have access to the field for, say, little kids soccer or field lacrosse practices and such? As I noted above, the size of the track infield within the park offers a unique opportunity to accommodate the sport of cricket, while continuing to provide ample space for residents to access the park for other recreational activities like soccer, dog walking or lacrosse. The field will be approximately 100 metres by 120 metres, and a game of cricket involves only two teams with 11 players per side, minimizing any impact on the existing use of the site. In addition, the Whitby Cricket Club will be working to develop an inclusive program for the space that will be open to the entire community. It's our hope that residents who may not have previously tried cricket will have the opportunity to experience the sport. 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