Notice to Members: Update on Rotary Field House at South Surrey Athletic Park
- Aug 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 26
August 25, 2025
Notice to Members - Rotary Field House
Update on Rotary Field House at South Surrey Athletic Park
The Coastal FC Board would like to provide our members with an update regarding the Rotary Field House (RFH), a meeting and storage facility located adjacent to the water park at South Surrey Athletic Park (SSAP). While these matters are typically handled more privately, recent media coverage has highlighted the importance of ensuring our members have accurate information and balanced context.
BACKGROUND
The Rotary Field House opened in 1999 through the support of the City of Surrey, community partners, sport organizations, and Rotary groups. Its operation falls under the South Surrey Field House Society (SSFHS), where Coastal FC holds five of sixteen votes, a minority position. The original 25-year lease expired at the end of 2024.
At the time of opening, SSAP was a very different facility, with no turf fields and limited midweek activity. RFH was heavily used for meetings, social gatherings, and community events. Since then, the park has grown into a hub for sport, anchored by ten soccer fields (four artificial turf) and year-round activity, much of it driven by soccer.
COASTAL FC’S GROWTH AND FACILITY NEEDS
Coastal FC has grown into the largest soccer club in Surrey, serving more than 4,400 players annually across all ages and abilities. Founded in 2012 through the merger of three local clubs, the organization offers a full spectrum of programs, from youth recreational teams to high-performance development, inclusive adaptive programming through the Champions initiative, walking soccer for adults aged 50+, and a variety of specialty programs. We are proud to hold the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Youth Club License (NYCL), reflecting the highest standard of operational and technical excellence. While professionally managed by thirteen full-time staff members, Coastal FC is a not-for-profit organization supported by more than 1,000 volunteers who serve the community each year.
Despite this growth, our support facilities remain severely limited. We currently have only 200 square feet of heated storage and rely heavily on sea cans scattered across SSAP for equipment and uniforms. These containers lack power, are not weatherproof, and cannot house the machinery we use daily, such as field painters, UTVs, and golf carts. A proper, secure, and climate-controlled storage solution is critical for our operations.
HISTORY OF DISCUSSIONS WITH ROTARY
Since 2022, Coastal FC has engaged in discussions with Rotary groups regarding alternative use of the RFH. Our initial proposal included:
Coastal FC assuming full operational and financial responsibility for the building,
Rotary retaining access to meeting rooms at no charge,
Support for Rotary in sourcing alternative book storage, including financial assistance during transition. This assistance would offset the difference between the subsidized rent currently paid at the RFH and the market rate that would be required elsewhere
This proposal was not supported by Rotary.
A committee, chaired by a Rotarian and consisting of a majority of Rotarians, was formed in 2023. After more than six months of work, the committee provided a unanimously supported recommendation to share the warehouse space on a 50/50 basis. Coastal FC supported this motion when it was brought forward for consideration at the SSFHS AGM in 2024.
In a surprise move, two of the Rotary groups (White Rock & Semiahmoo) voted against the very motion they had helped design, which blocked the compromise and the shared use (50/50) of the RFH.
Immediately after voting down the motion, Rotary formed its own subcommittee to negotiate with the City of Surrey directly, excluding Coastal FC, effectively ending any negotiation or compromise going forward.
As a result of being sent a clear signal of Rotary’s unwillingness to share space with the club, Coastal FC also began direct negotiations with the City of Surrey.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
With the lease expiring, the City of Surrey and SSFHS were unable to agree to an extension. The City of Surrey later offered Coastal FC a short-term operating agreement from October 1 to December 31, 2025, which we have signed. We expect the City to launch a Request for Proposals (RFP) process later this year for long-term operation beginning in 2026. Coastal FC fully intends to submit a strong bid.
OUR POSITION
Storage and warehouse space is essential. Coastal FC requires secure, climate-controlled space for uniforms, equipment, and daily operational tools. These needs cannot be met off-site or elsewhere in the park. The club invests well in excess of $500,000 each year on uniforms and equipment across all programs, making proper storage critical to protect this investment. In addition, UTVs and golf carts cannot be driven on public roads from off-site locations, which would require trailering them in daily. This would be impractical and unsustainable.
Expanded use of meeting space. Current usage is limited and could be adapted to host meetings, volunteer training, awards ceremonies, coach education, and to serve as a visible daily point of service to our 4,400 players and 1,000 volunteers who visit SSAP each week.
Commitment to community. Should Coastal FC be successful in securing long-term use of RFH, we remain committed to:
Guaranteeing Rotary meeting space access
Maintaining book collection drop-off at SSAP for community convenience
Making meeting space available to other community groups and businesses
Developing an entirely new facility would cost millions of dollars and is not a viable alternative. We believe optimizing RFH for sport and community use is the most responsible approach. While collecting and sorting books may have made sense in 1999, the reality is SSAP is an athletic park. We are simply asking to have this valuable space in the City reallocated for athletic purposes.
Rotary’s needs can be met elsewhere. The White Rock Rotary Club uses RFH solely for book collection and sorting, to serve two book sales, annually. Since all sales are conducted off-site, their operation does not depend on park-based storage. It is inconvenient and likely more expensive to rent space elsewhere, but it is certainly possible and would maintain Rotary’s ability to continue to operate their book sales events.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF SURREY
We recognize the difficult position the City is in when balancing the needs of valued community organizations like Coastal FC and Rotary. We are grateful that Mayor Locke, City Council, and City staff have listened to our concerns and provided a short-term agreement with Coastal FC, which we see as a positive signal for the upcoming RFP process.
NEXT STEPS
Coastal FC will continue discussions directly with the City of Surrey as part of the RFP process. We will keep our membership informed as discussions with the City and Rotary groups continue. In the meantime, any questions or comments can be directed through our website's Feedback Link.
Coastal FC Board of Directors
For media inquiries, email: media@coastalfc.ca
