Soccer Disgruntled With Subdivsion

Sunday, 18 January 2015 at 10:34

Tillsonburg and County Council approve subdivision draft plan bordering Tillsonburg Minor Soccer Association park.

TILLSONBURG - Tillsonburg minor soccer association is on the losing end of a battle over a subdivision being developed alongside land used by the soccer association and owned by the town of Tillsonburg. In a letter submitted to Tillsonburg council the soccer association says they hadn't realized when entering into an agreement with the town that they would not have input regarding surrounding development. The soccer association say they invested in infrastructure totalling $1.5 million for the creation of soccer fields and a soccer club house on the town owned lands. The subdivision proposal was approved at Tillsonburg council and received secondary approval from Oxford County council.

Tillsonburg Minor Soccer Association had expressed concern over liability of potential issues that could arise from the close location of residences. One of the requests asked for a title clause for the properties noting the exposure of: light trespass from existing and future high mast lighting, noise trespass from events at the clubhouse (a licensed facility), high levels of traffic and noise during game nights and tournaments, 24 hour noise related to irrigation systems, odours related to fertilizer and weed treatments, and potential exposure to damages from soccer balls-- associated with a soccer park facility. The previous land was used for cash crops.

Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar says there are a number of solutions, "The developer is also responsible for providing a perimeter fence around the entire new development property so that is something that is also going to add a barrier to protect not only the home owners but also the deflected soccer balls leaving the property there."

Tillsonburg council decided to take cash in lieu of 5% parkland from the developer. The soccer association had opposed this decision saying the land could have been used to provide a buffer zone between the residential development and the soccer facility.