The city parks department is exploring what portion of parks should remain open or be converted to programming and activity space for residents and community groups as more outdoor activity is expected following the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured is Rotary Park near N. Railway Street.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
This spring the parks and recreation department will ask how much space in city parks should be left open or developed for activity space as the pandemic potentially leads to more outdoor activity.
That conversation, coupled with a long-term move to cut budgets, is getting underway this week with talks with residents, sports, leisure and other activity user groups, the public service committee heard Tuesday.
“We want these spaces to be purposeful,” said James Will, director of parks and recreation department.
“What’s the end goal? What do we want to achieve with 10 or 15 acres of reserve space that we have in the middle of some of our neighbourhoods?”
Last year the city’s land use policy adopted a nodal approach that suggests larger amenities, like more substantial parks with several different uses, is preferable to smaller on off locations.
Talks are well underway on the redevelopment of Riverside Veterans Memorial Park, where the city’s Invest Medicine Hat wing has said it will be a focal point of a Water Front district. New space for vendors would be added and linked to an upgraded city-owned parking lot across the street and the city hall plaza.
Several years ago, the city’s first disc golf course was installed at Central Park on the Southeast Hill, and now a nature playground is underway thanks to third party funding by the Kiwanis Club.
Depending on the results of a parks master plan, other parks could see more space delineated for fitness areas for businesses and non-profit groups, alternative activities, multi-use pads, or other uses, like community gardens and outdoor classrooms.
Committee chair, Coun. Julie Friesen, said the results could be “very exciting.”
“I’m very much in favour of the approach,” she said. “It takes advantage of underutilized space in some cases, and it promotes partnerships.”
Will said the overall goal is to increase park use, but there are competing interests involved.
Some users prefer “tranquility” or quiet space for picnicking. Others are drawn to activity space, or programming. If that’s provided by the city, that adds to a budget that is currently being scrutinized, meaning community, non-profit and business partnerships are preferred.
Administrators also believe increased outdoor activity seen during the pandemic will likely continue on a trend going forward, even as restrictions on indoor gatherings and fitness activities wane.
Overall, installing things like benches, hard courts or workout equipment has a cost that has to be compared to turf maintenance, say administrators, but both options are less expensive that adding indoor recreation space.
“The idea is that there wouldn’t be a single dominant use (in a park), not just baseball, for example, but baseball with a fountain, and adding a vendor would be even better,” said Scott Richter, director of parks planning projects.
The overall recreation review plan was announced late last year and will also discuss the future of three recreation facilities, including two that remained closed this winter due to low demand, including the Moose Recreation Centre arena, and the Crestwood Recreation centre and pool.
Crescent Heights outdoor pool is also closed as the city seeks a substantial budget cuts to maintain a promise of zero per cent tax increases over three years, including 2022, when further cuts will be needed.
Managing director Brian Mastel said facilities planning is also underway, alongside outdoor parks review, but timing may require a decision on facilities sooner.
“We know that people are very interested in facilities, and especially those that are facing critical infrastructure work,” he told the committee, saying that facilities evaluation is going on now.
