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Maple Ridge council candidate Lou Jose proposes alternatives for recreation facilities
Lou Jose wants voters to consider retaining the public golf course and a private-partnership model for a new aquatic facility before approving borrowing for three recreation projects.
Maple Ridge council candidate Lou Jose is offering two alternative recreation proposals ahead of the Oct. 17 election, when voters will also decide whether to approve city borrowing for three major recreation projects.
Jose said the city should consider whether existing public assets, partnerships and alternative development models could offer better options before taxpayers commit to major new spending. The borrowing votes cover the Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre, the Multi-Use Community Park in Hammond and the Albion Twin-Rink Arena Expansion.
Jose proposes keeping the century-old public golf course and expanding its community role. His proposal would maintain affordable public golf while adding programs for juniors, women, seniors and first-time golfers. It would also explore complementary uses on the property, including a community recreation centre.
“We don't necessarily have to eliminate one form of recreation to create another,” Jose said. He said the property has served Maple Ridge for generations and that the city should first determine whether it can be preserved, improved and made accessible to more residents.
For the Maple Ridge Aquatics Centre, Jose proposes that voters also consider a downtown development model involving a private developer and the owners of Haney Place Mall. The concept would incorporate a new aquatic facility into a larger redevelopment project and could use the value of existing city-owned property as part of the transaction.
“A $227-million project deserves more than one option,” Jose said, adding that Maple Ridge should learn what developers are prepared to contribute and what the city’s properties are worth in a partnership before borrowing that amount.
Jose, a lifelong Maple Ridge resident, said he has worked for more than 30 years at one of North America’s largest sales, service and marketing companies. He has played, coached and volunteered in local soccer, hockey and baseball, and learned to swim with the Neptunes. He said recreation services matter to his family, including his four grandchildren. His website is votejose.ca.