Immaculata soccer pitch faces city curfew
A controversial new artificial field at Immaculata High School could have its playing hours reduced by the City of Ottawa to protect neighbours from the hoopla of late-night recreational soccer.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Ottawa Footy Sevens partnered to build a $2-million turf and running track surface at the high school, replacing the banged-up grass field. The soccer organization is paying for construction and operations, while the school board is paying for the new synthetic track.
Residents who live near the field haven’t been happy about the planning of the project, saying there was a lack of consultation, and they have worried about increased traffic, noise and light pollution.
The original site plan for the field requires the surface to be grass or sod. The school board submitted a site plan application to allow the installation of the artificial-turf field, rubber track, four light poles and other landscaping.
The infrastructure has already been installed. The Footy Sevens have been preparing for fall leagues.
The city doesn’t have a problem with the new surfaces, but it wants the lights to be turned off by 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Also, the city doesn’t want any activity on the field before 9 a.m. on the weekend.
Site plans usually don’t rise to the level of planning committee approval, but because the school board opposes the city’s recommended hours, the planning committee needs to vote on the site plan application on Tuesday.
The school board elaborated on its objection in an emailed response from communications manager Mardi de Kemp.
“It is the board’s view that the enhancements to the Immaculata sports field come under existing City of Ottawa bylaws,” the school board says. “The position of the board is that the operating hours of this field should be subject to the same operating hours as all other lighted turf fields in the City of Ottawa, including city-owned lighted turf fields.”
The city acknowledges that closing time at most city-owned sports parks is 11 p.m., but according to staff the Immaculata field is different because of its proximity to homes.
Hours of operation can’t be encoded in a site plan, but restrictions on lighting can be.
Restricted field availability could be especially damaging to the school board’s private partner.
The Footy Sevens get exclusive use of the field after 6 p.m. and can collect revenue from rentals.
Chris Surgeoner, co-owner and administrator of the Footy Sevens, said less playing time in the evening would have an impact on the club’s operations. Most of the leagues run by the Footy Sevens have games that last until 11 p.m., he said.
It’s odd that the city would want to restrict the playing hours at Immaculata, he said, when there are other lighted sports fields across the city, including baseball diamonds, that can operate until 11. “It’s just surprising to me.” Surgeoner said he’s happy with the installation of the artificial field over the summer.
Asked if fewer playing hours would affect the club’s deal with the school board, Surgeoner said he didn’t want to speculate. He said he’s interested in hearing the reasons for an early lights-out during the planning committee meeting.
Capital Coun. David Chernushenko said the school board should have done a better job consulting the community before breaking ground on the turf project. Three games played simultaneously late at night on the field would create an unacceptable disruption to residents, he said.
“Change is hard and has to be handled with sensitivity,” Chernusehnko said. “Unfortunately (the school board) did not manage this project well when it came to involving neighbours.”