City looks at other uses for the property in light of stagnant membership
With the Merritt Lawn Bowling Club’s one-year lease expiring in 2016, and its membership sitting at a modest eight people, city council is looking into alternative sports to utilize its downtown facility. The city told the club that if its membership did not increase, it would look at other uses for the area, a staff report in the council agenda from this past December stated.
Despite increased advertising, membership remains stagnant.
At its regular meeting on Dec. 15, city council took a step towards creating a change up to offer the facility to other groups by rescinding a resolution from 1980 that guaranteed the city would offer a lawn bowling green in the community.
The city approved rescinding the resolution 5-1, with Coun. Kurt Christopherson opposed and Coun. Ginny Prowal not in attendance.
Council was then to vote on whether or not to refuse to renew the club’s lease, but that vote was deferred.
The city is currently wrapping up the creation of a parks master plan which will include a “best use” suggestion for the current facility. A staff report in the Dec. 15 agenda stated that preliminary discussions with the plan’s consultants indicate that lawn bowling won’t be the recommended use.
The city has offered a lawn bowling green in various locations over the years, and the Lawn Bowling Club has leased the lawn bowling facility since its construction in 2009.
However, the club’s membership has remained at eight for a couple of years.
It costs the city between $15,000 and $20,000 to maintain the bowling greens each year, and cost the city $350,000 to have it built.
