Walker and runners who want to use the track at Masich Place Stadium will get access for a seven-hour period each day when it is reopened, according to a staff report providing further detail on how the facility will be operated.
It will be open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., public works director Gina Layte-Liston says in the report which city council will consider during Monday night's regular meeting.
Prior to the closure last year to make way for a major renovation, the stadium's track and field had been open from dawn to dusk except when booked for a special event. Bookings were infrequent and required only limited on-site presence of parks staff, Layte-Liston says. "This resulted in some conflict between users, misuse, vandalism, and degrading conditions over the years."
But with the improvements, she said user group bookings are expected to immediately increase by more than 60 per cent. University of Northern B.C.'s varsity soccer teams will host games at Masich Place, for example.
"Accordingly, the City has developed an operations plan that will permit and enhance use by as many user groups as possible - including the public - while maintaining the condition of this now-premier facility and maximizing the public's investment for many years to come," Layte-Liston said.
"This has been informed by conversations (including facility tours during construction) with the main user groups that rent the facility and a review of similar facilities elsewhere in B.C. and Alberta."
She also said council will be asked during budget talks later this year to consider a "budget enhancement" - effectively an increase in the tax levy - to cover the cost of the additional staffing, the amount still to be determined.
"This proposal will incorporate information about actual facility use through the remainder of 2018, forecasted usage for spring 2019, as well as public feedback collected from a survey that will be implemented later this summer," Layte-Liston said.
Layte-Liston made reference to limiting the hours for general use during the July 23 council meeting and in a subsequent interview with the Citizen.
The online reaction to the plan has largely been negative and an online petition, found at causes.com, calling for public access during daylight hours has drawn 1,443 names as of Thursday. A Facebook page, Prince George Citizens for Masich Place, has also been launched to oppose the plan.
Given the $4.8-million cost of the renovation, some say the facility should remain open from dawn to dusk while others question how the plan will reduce vandalism, arguing that such activity usually occurs at night once the public is gone.
On his Facebook page, Coun. Brian Skakun says he will put forward a motion to to direct administration to expand the public hours of access.
"My hope is to go back to the original hours of operation and see how that works," he says. "Might seem simple but not be easy. In order for that to happen, I need the support of the majority of council."
Masich Place is tentatively scheduled to open on August 7.
- A previous version of this story erroneously said the period open to the public for five hours. The Citizen regrets the error.
