Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission (LCC) has voted to enter into a 12-month lease with the Chuan Society for a portion of the former Phoenix Elementary School property, a move commissioners say is an important step toward community-building on Drake Road.
The unanimous vote Thursday, May 15 will allow Chuan to build upon its wintertime pilot project known as the Hearth, the daytime gathering space for vulnerable community members it had run from the Phoenix property’s portable building. Chuan plans to operate a comprehensive “neighbourhood house” from the upstairs floor of the former school’s main building, creating a community gathering place with learning spaces, a kitchen, garden and pantry.
The agreement will be in place for the next year, while the downstairs is occupied by Capital Regional District (CRD) Parks and Rec staff awaiting construction of their new Kanaka Road facility.
Just two proposals to rent the property were received in time for the LCC’s full consideration Thursday; the other, submitted by the Creek Song Learning Centre, had hoped to use the space for an estimated 10 to 14 children it anticipates for its Waldorf-inspired educational program.
But that proposal fell out of the running quickly, according to LCC chair Earl Rook, given the broader benefit commissioners saw in Chuan’s plans.
“I think our community’s got a whole series of serious, multi-level problems that we’re trying to deal with,” said Rook. “Providing lower-cost rental for a group of parents for a school doesn’t seem to rise to the level of our housing crisis . . . I think the fact that children are involved isn’t enough to put enough weight on the scales to tip it that direction.”
Rook was referring to language in the lease agreement with the Gulf Islands School District — which still owns the Phoenix property — stipulating the CRD’s uses “shall prioritize youth activities and bookings,” with subsequent priority given, in order, to CRD activities, adult not-for-profit activities, then public activities. Staff had noted that while the choice of tenant was the LCC’s to make, it was arguable that shifting those priorities may run counter to the terms of the lease.
“They’ve asked that we prioritize youth activities within the building,” said CRD senior manager Dan Ovington. “It’s completely at the LCC’s direction if [you] see another priority, or a need higher than that. But then the school district’s well within its right to terminate our lease, or not provide us a renewal.”
Commissioners were undeterred.
“Both [proposals] are good, solid ideas,” said LCC member Brian Webster. “One is of benefit to kind of a constrained range of families — who are community members, and so good on them for applying — and the other, in my view, has broad benefits to the community.”
Expressing his support for the Chuan proposal, LCC member/CRD director Gary Holman noted while the Hearth had been “managed quite well,” there had been issues around parking and dogs.
“And there are going to be issues,” said Holman. “I’m a little concerned about conflict with Parks and Rec staff — so if additional fencing or other measures are needed to separate out the uses, I can say here publicly I’m absolutely committed to supporting that with more Community Works funding. But all things considered, it’s worth taking a chance.”
Commissioner Ben Corno agreed, saying the use may dovetail with community needs.
“This also takes care of a bit of our work for the future,” said Corno. “I don’t think the LCC has another answer for the warming space for the wintertime right now.”
Webster quickly pointed out Chuan’s proposal was not for a warming space, saying he has come to envision a future with a “true grassroots community centre” in the vicinity of BC Housing’s supportive and affordable housing project, being built down the street from the former Phoenix property — and saw this agreement with the Chuan Society as a step in that direction.
“I stood in a circle of folks on the last Saturday event of the Hearth,” said Webster. “It’s impossible for anybody who has an open mind and an open heart to participate in something like that, and not feel a compelling need to make sure that our definition of ‘community’ really includes the whole community.”