Headlines/June 24, 1992

Major funding announcements launch new planning process

With the announcement of almost $45 million of new building
projects to be completed in the next three years, the UCFV
planning process will maintain the same furious pace that-was
set over the past year.

In order to meet Ministry requirements, architectural
drawings for more than $10 million of construction in both
Chilliwack and Abbotsford must be completed by March of
1993. Final approval of building funds will see construction
begin in September 1993 for completion in August 1994.

At the same time, planning will begin for the additional $20
million worth of expansions scheduled for completion in 1995,

Due to the massive organizational task ahead, planning
consultants Hilary Bookham and Arne Fullerton have been
hired to guide the process. —

The first job will be for the Master Planning committees for
Chilliwack and Abbotsford to review earlier plans and priorities.
They will identify current priorities and recommend to the
Physical Environment Committee which program and service

Decisions will then need to be made, before the end of June,
1992, on exactly what needs can be met with the funding
available.

Once priorities are established, User Committees consisting
of departmental representatives will meet with the planning
consultants to determine the general shape and size of the
facilities they will require.

User Committees will strike Architectural Subcommittees
to prepare the specific requirements for hiring the architect.

In September 1992 the tenders will be let for architects who
will design the new facilities. Their blueprints will take form
over the winter along with continued discussion with the
appropriate committees as more detailed planning proceeds.

By March ’93 the architectural plans will be approved by the
Board and sent to the Ministry for final consideration. Building
should begin in the fall for completion the next summer.

Planning for the second major construction phase will occur
in parallel to the first phase to some extent. The priority process

needs should be addressed in the first phase of construction.
Their considerations will be based on the UCFV five-year

strategic plan which is now being updated to ensure that

building priorities reflect educational goals.

will determine which facilities will come first, and which will
have to wait a year.

Chilliwack Master Plan committee considers revised design

A revised campus design, updated FTE
projections, and increased building costs
were among the issues that surfaced at
the June 9 meeting of the Chilliwack
Master Plan committee.

Space planner Hilary Bookham noted
that the FTE projections for Chilliwack
should be 950 for the first phase and
1672 for the second phase.

Additional members of the committee
will include Gary Karlsen as chair of the
Abbotsford Master Plan committee, and
Terry Cox of Computer Services, as well
as another Chilliwack faculty member
and a Chilliwack student, both yet to be
selected.

Concerns were raised about the
introduction of a revised campus design
and the process surrounding these kinds
of changes.

Hilary Bookham advised caution in
revising the earlier plan. “If we start
Over again, it’s so easy to forget why we
made the original decisions,” she said.
She also suggested that the Master Plan
committees must be clear of their role
and from whom they should receive
direction.

Chair Rae McCombs said these
concerns were “a strong indication of

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respect for the process by which
information should come to‘the Master
Plan committees for initial consideration
before major changes are made.”

Planning consultant Ame Fullerton
presented some revisions to the new
Chilliwack campus design which he had
introduced at the previous meeting. At
that time he proposed a more open
campus lay-out with a number of
changes from the original “hub” concept
developed in 1989. The revisions
reflected the relationship with campus
neighbours, more space for the campus
core, the overall learning environment,
parking requirements, and future
expansion.

Committee members raised other
issues including the possibility of an
ECE centre, vocational training space
for agriculture, space for agricultural

land and the possibility of a playing field.

Hilary Bookham presented a number
of scenarios for the sequence and scope
of construction.

One scenario would see total removal
of the portables and “motel” in the first
phase. This was estimated to cost up to
$23 million to replace with only a
marginal increase in actual space but

greatly improved facilities. Other
scenarios outlined various stages of
demolition of the “motel” and a
corresponding combination of new
buildings that could be constructed,
depending on the amount of money
allocated.

During the discussion Fullerton noted
that it might cost as much as $4-5
million to install the “footprint” of roads,
sewers and other services for a whole
new campus. He recommended that
UCFYV consider removing as much of
the “motel” as possible. He said that
renovations to the “motel” could be
expensive in order bring the building up
to current building code standards.

Several members noted that if the
Chilliwack campus receives only $10
million in the first phase, and if $4
million is spent on the “footprint”, the
extent of new buildings would be very
restricted.

If this is the case, Ian Fenwick
recommended “a strong lobby for half of
the next $20 million be allocated to
Chilliwack.”

Following more discussion Dave
Allen moved that “the committee

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