A report from city staffers John Severino and David Euler regarding the waterfront will come before city council tonight.
The Downtown Waterfront Advisory Committee met on April 21, to discuss the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan and to provide advice regarding the King’s Landing Rehabilitation. During the meeting, the Committee developed three recommendations for Council’s consideration.
The committee came up with a trio of recommendations.
- direct staff to undertake the geotechnical assessment of the King’s Landing / Marina area to provide better information and cost estimates for evaluation of options and decision-making about the King’s Landing Rehabilitation and/or MultiUse Pier and Wave Break Redevelopment;
- direct staff to meet with stakeholders and prepare a report identifying capital and operating cost estimates, proposed location options and other related considerations regarding the proposed splash pad development, including alternatives for the form and components of such development;
- direct staff to meet with representatives of the railway companies to determine their short, medium and long-term uses and plans in the waterfront area.
"What basically is happening," committee member Jay Aspin told BayToday, "The council is authorizing staff to go out and get these costs for these locations and see if anyone wants to sponsor it because obviously, we want to mitigate costs to the municipality. We've already got the Rotary Club wanting to sponsor the splash pad. There may be someone out there that's willing to look at the skating rink."
It is expected that the cost for the necessary Geotechnical and Preliminary Designs to establish a cost analysis will be approximately $200,000 depending on the extent of the Geotechnical Survey and design detail.
One of the priority recommendations from the Master Plan is to bring year round activities to the waterfront that "encourage the economic sustainability of the downtown and provide engaging activities for all ages and abilities", according to the report.
"The most supported and requested programming piece for the waterfront is the introduction of a new splash pad and ice skating trail. This facility has the potential to encourage year-round activity, bring families downtown, and create a central draw in the Downtown Waterfront.
"The most supported and requested programming piece for the waterfront is the introduction of a new splash pad and ice skating trail," continues the report.
"This facility has the potential to encourage year-round activity, bring families downtown, and create a central draw in the Downtown Waterfront. In order to initiate this implementation goal of the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, the Committee recognizes that significantly more information is required. Therefore, the Committee recommended that staff initiate discussions with the local Rotary Club and other stakeholders and provide a detailed report back on an implementation process. This report would include confirmation of the facility’s location, size and amenities to be included, information regarding costing for construction and operation, and confirmation of partner commitments towards the establishment of the Splash Pad and Skating Rink."
"As a committee member," added Aspin, "I'm certainly not in favour of spending 1.7 million dollars for a splash pad, it will be well under that cost."
Aspin gives the example of the splash pad in Callander.
"They built their splash pad for something like two or three hundred thousand dollars. My role on the committee is to mitigate expenses to the municipality as much as possible. We have to keep in mind affordability to the taxpayer."
