LPAT Case Nos. PL 171084 PL180158 PL 180580 MM180022 MM170004 LOCAL PLANNING APPEAL TRIBUNAL PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P. 13, as amended Applicant and Appellant: Clublink Corporation ULC and Clublink Holdings Ltd. Subject: Request to amend the Official Plan - Refusal of request by the Town of Oakville Existing Designation: Private Open Space and Natural Area Proposed Designation: Site Specific (to be determined) - including Residential, Mixed Use and Community Commercial Purpose: To permit the redevelopment of the Subject Lands for a mix of residential, commercial and open space uses Property Address/Description: 1333 Dorval Drive Municipality: Town of Oakville Approval Authority File No.: OPA.1519.09 LPAT Case No.: PL171084 LPAT File No.: PL171084 LPAT Case Name: Clublink Corporation ULC v. Oakville (Town) See Appendix "A" WITNESS STATEMENT OF ANDREW KEFFER Prepared for Clublink Corporation ULC and Clublink Holdings Limited May 17, 2021 Background 1. I am the Executive Director of Turf Operations for Clublink Corporation ULC ("Ciublink"), a position I have held since 2002. 2. I received a diploma in Horticulture from the University of Guelph in 1993. 3. I joined Clublink in 1993 and have held management positions at three golf courses operating under the Clublink umbrella: Emerald Hills; Greystone; and Rattlesnake Point. 2 4. I was the on-site Superintendent for the entire construction of RattleSnake Point. As Executive Director, I have also had involvement in the construction of a number of golf courses, including Glencarin, Wyndance and GreyHawk. 5. Clublink's portfolio includes 33 golf course locations across Canada, including the Glen Abbey Golf Course ("Glen Abbey"), which Clublink purchased in 1999. Each course, including Glen Abbey, has its own supervisor, all of whom report to a Director of Operations on that property. The Director of Operations consults with me on all significant issues related to the property, including all capital projects. Any major project on a golf course property, including Glen Abbey, is undertaken under my supervision and with my involvement. 6. In my current position, I regularly attend at Glen Abbey and review ongoing and future capital projects. While day-to-day management is handled by the supervisor, I am very familiar with all aspects of management, including the maintenance of the golf course and overall property. Overview of Glen Abbey Golf Club 7. The Glen Abbey Golf Club is located on the east side of Dorval Drive, south of Upper Middle Road, approximately 1.5 kilometres north of the Dorval Drive exit from the QEW Highway. 8. The site is 232 acres in size, consisting of approximately 154 acres of tablelands and 78 acres of valleylands within the Sixteen Mile Creek valley. 9. Although not subject to Clublink's redevelopment applications, the tablelands include the RayDor Estate building, which is located on a block approximately 3 acres in size. 10. Of the 18 holes on the golf course, 13 are located on the tablelands. Holes 11 to 15 are located in the Sixteen Mile Creek valley. 11 . To the west, east and south of the site are residential dwellings. The site is serviced by municipal sewer and water. There is an 11 million gallon irrigation reservoir southeast of Upper Middle Road on the tablelands and irrigation water is obtained from stormwater run off and Sixteen Mile Creek. 12. There is nearly 120,000 square feet of buildings on the property. The major buildings on site include: a. The 39,227 square foot three-storey clubhouse; b. The original13,455 square foot two-storey RayDor Estate building; c. The 33,000 square foot Royal Canadian Golf Association building and 8,611 square foot Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and museum, both of which are additions to the RayDor Estate; 3 d. A 9,171 square foot golf academy and cart storage building; e. The 1,800 square foot Golf Management Institute building ; f. A 1,697 square foot halfway house; and g. A 10,796 square foot maintenance building known as the Stables. 13. Glen Abbey has approximately 450 members. A Clublink membership is $6,000 per year with Glen Abbey as the "home course", and otherwise ranges from $4,500 to $5,500 per year. The daily greens fees at Glen Abbey range from $165 to $280 depending on the time of year and the day of the week. By comparison, the greens fees at most Clublink courses range from $55 to $145 depending on the time of year and the day of the week. Construction of the Glen Abbey Golf Course and Golf Courses Generally 14. The Glen Abbey Golf Course was constructed between 1974 and 1976. 15. While I was not involved in the construction of the Glen Abbey Golf Course, I am very familiar with the course itself and have been involved in the construction of other golf courses. I have also seen photographs of the Glen Abbey Golf Course while it was under construction and have reviewed certain infrastructure plans for the property. 16. The design and construction of a golf course is a multi-year project. Throughout the project, a number of consultants will form part of the team, including site engineers, hydraulic engineers, general contractors, various environmental consultants and experts, irrigation design experts and building architects. 17. Significant amounts of earth movement (approximately one million cubic yards) was required to turn the relatively flat tablelands of the site into the Glen Abbey Golf Course. Earth movement was required to create ponds; to grade and manipulate the shape of the landscape to be suitable for tees, fairways, bunkers and greens; to build spectator mounds; and to allow for proper drainage, among other purposes. 18. Greens are constructed by excavating a cavity, installing drainage pipes, and laying gravel, sand and soil in a specific manner to improve drainage and promote grass health and growth. The green surface is then seeded with bent grass. 19. Bunkers are constructed in a similar manner as greens, often with a synthetic liner or other barrier to prevent contamination between the existing soil and the sand used to fill the bunker. White sand imported from Ohio is used at Glen Abbey. 4 20 . Tees can be constructed in a similar manner as greens, but often not to the same specifications, due to the cost involved. 21 . Fairways have drainage substructure installed in certain places, and like greens, bunkers and tees, require specific grading to allow for proper drainage. 22 . Cart paths consist typically of two to three inches of asphalt layered on a six-inch gravel base. 23 . The spectator mounds at Glen Abbey are approximately six to fifteen feet in height. The spectator mounds are located in the vicinity of certain tees, fairways and greens. 24 . As noted above, several ponds were constructed when Glen Abbey was built. The ponds were not present before the golf course construction. The ponds act as water hazards, provide sources of water for irrigation, and are part of the aesthetic of the golf course itself. 25. Various reports commissioned by Clublink and the Town of Oakville (the "Town") contain documents and photographs demonstrating the significant construction and earth movement required to build the golf course at Glen Abbey. Buildings and Structures on the Glen Abbey Golf Course and Golf Courses Generally 26 . Virtually all golf courses require a number of buildings and structures throughout the property that are integral to the operation of the golf course. 27. Many of Clublink's golf courses are designed with varying elevations and therefore require engineered vehicular pathways throughout the property. These paths are used by golf carts, turf maintenance equipment and service vehicles. Glen Abbey has a complex set of cart paths, with approximately 5 miles of paving. Glen Abbey has an additional 2-3 miles of paved driveway and service roads. 28. In most cases, bridges or boardwalks (complete with concrete abutments and heavy-duty pressure-treated timber) are utilized to connect the pathways over rivers, lakes and rough terrain. An 18-hole Clublink course will typically have a number of bridges. Glen Abbey has three bridges that span the Sixteen Mile Creek. 29 . Fences are often used to indicate property lines and surround water bodies such as constructed reservoirs. Galvanized chain link fences are used at Glen Abbey for property lines. 30. Each Clublink golf course has a clubhouse, which typically houses a pro shop, washrooms I changerooms, dining facilities and/or administrative offices. At Glen Abbey, the original clubhouse was built in 1976 and additions consisting of two 5 new wings were added in 1994. The clubhouse is approximately 39,000 square feet in size. 31 . Each ClubLink golf course has a main irrigation pump house. This building houses all pumps, motors and controls for the irrigation system (which is described further below). These buildings are located next to the property's main water source. Glen Abbey's 312 square foot pumphouse is located next to the pond at the 41h tee, and its 96 square foot transfer pump house is located behind the 13th green. 32. All ClubLink golf courses have a turf maintenance facility to store and maintain equipment. These facilities also include office space, staff lunch I meeting rooms and washrooms. Glen Abbey's turf maintenance facility is 10,796 square feet and is housed in the Stables building. Near the Stables are a staff house containing offices, a smaller office building, and two sheds. 33 . All Clublink golf courses have a golf cart storage facility. These buildings are often pole barns that store 78 electric golf carts. Glen Abbey's golf cart storage facility, together with its golf academy teaching facility, is 9,171 square feet.