New home for Champions Gymnastics

$3M plan takes step forward after county council approves new Lansdowne St. site

It’s been an eight year struggle but Marcel Rene is one step closer to his dream of building a $3-million, 1,800-square foot, state-ofthe-art gymnastics facility.

The plan is to move Champions Gymnastics about 1.8 kilometres west along Lansdowne St. from its location of the past 27 years. The new gym would be located across the road from Heron Landing Golf Course just down the street from the Peterborough Curling Club.

Peterborough County council approved an amendment to the Official Plan at a meeting on Wednesday to allow it – even though county planning staff advised against it.

A planning staff report stated the proposed facility didn’t meet the province’s “minimum distance separation” policies to a nearby barn. The report also suggested amending the land usage to recreational wasn’t consistent with the current rural designation.

“In reality, the barn hasn’t held livestock in decades,” said Cavan Monaghan Township Mayor Scott McFadden, who supported the amendment.

If the barn were to be used again for livestock, McFadden said, it would require renovations and a building permit. A permit wouldn’t likely be issued since it wouldn’t meet the minimum distance separation requirements to a nearby house built since its last use as a livestock barn. In his opinion, the barn can no longer be used for livestock and shouldn’t prevent this new development.

County Warden Joe Taylor said council used discretion the planning staff do not have in reaching its decision.

“We are respectful of staff ’s opinion and the report was sound,” Taylor said.

“We have the ability to apply a little discretion sometimes to these rules and regulations and maybe interpret things a different way. That’s what council did. Staff might have liked to have offered a different opinion but they have to base their decisions on the relevant policies.”

In this case, Taylor said recreational use of the property is consistent with nearby land use.

“There is kind of a development theme in that area,” Taylor said. “You have a number of recreational facilities right in that area so this is going to fit right into that.”

Taylor said the proposal is good for the community.

“We considered how important it is to have a facility in Cavan Monaghan Township and in the County of Peterborough that caters to youth and youth exercise and youth enjoyment.”

McFadden said council looked at the bigger picture.

“We have an individual coming forward with a private operation willing to do programming for kids and build a $3-million structure without any taxpayers’ dollars. That doesn’t happen very often,” McFadden said.

There is a 20-day appeal period but if there is no objections Rene would be free to begin his development.

“It puts us in a position where we can move forward,” Rene said. “Getting the township approval back in August was the first big step.”

Rene’s vision is for a facility three times the size of his current site, which he leases, with two gymnasiums.

“We handle a little over 2,000 members a year but we’re turning away probably 300 to 400 kids a year. It really goes against the grain to turn kids away,” he said.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure but I’ve been coaching for nearly 50 years and I can’t remember any other gym club in Canada that was specifically designed for the sport of gymnastics,” Rene said.

“Most of them are industrial spaces that have been converted. This might be a first but if it’s not it’s certainly going to be a state-ofthe-art facility.”

Rene said he needs to secure financing and site plan approval before he can build.

“This was our second huge step forward. We still have a few steps to go,” he said.

He’s renovating a house on the property to use for offices and meeting rooms.

Planning staff said the land is designated rural. If it’s not used for farming, states the staff report, the land is meant for purposes that reflect the rural character of the area. A gym would be better located in a settlement area, the report states.

But Kevin Duguay, the planner for Champions Gymnastics, said they looked for a property in Millbrook, for example – and there wasn’t any available.

North Monaghan Ward Coun. Tim Belch gave a presentation to councillors in support of the gym.

He said the property is on the rural-urban fringe, in a built-up area along Lansdowne St. W. hardly rural, anymore.

“It’s not in the middle of nowhere – it’s quite built up,” he said, adding that he’s “passionate about the area” and wants to see this new facility built.

-- with files from Joelle Kovach, Examiner Staff Writer mdavies@postmedia.com