Renovations to the concession and washroom facilities at Cumberland Lake Park could face an estimated budgetary shortfall of $120,000, after Village of Cumberland council voted to move ahead with the project without the involvement of 19 Wing Comox at its Aug. 14 meeting.
The Village has been discussing a partnership with 19 Wing to renovate the Lake Park concession and washroom facilities for three years.
The air force base originally offered to use the renovation project as training experience for its trades personnel.
Using 19 Wing for labour would have saved considerable expenses for the renovations, which have cost the Village $184,500 thus far.
But due to 19 Wing members’ deployment schedules, the renovations — which were initially scheduled to start in fall 2016 — were pushed back to spring 2017. Because this timeframe would have disrupted this summer’s camping season, 19 Wing trades crews only did minor renovations this year.
These included removing one wall, installing a new sink and counter space and painting the concession’s interior walls.
With the same deployment schedule as last year, 19 Wing was once again unable to commit a trades crew for a full-scale renovation project until early next year, meaning the facilities would be closed until mid July or early August 2018.
“They are able to schedule the project in January 2018 but this will push the opening of the concession stand to mid July or August 2018,” reads Village of Cumberland manager of recreation Leah Knutson’s report to council on the matter.
“Any delay that pushes the project into the summer will have a negative effect on the park operations.”
Council’s vote to move ahead without 19 Wing means the Village of Cumberland will have to find a contractor to take on the renovations instead.
Extra labour costs added to the project’s budget are an estimated $120,000, though “further research would be required to confirm this shortfall and final estimates,” according to Knutson’s report.