FERGUS ‒ Confederation Park's design improvements are still at the storyboard stage but one councillor wants to see more.
Presented in the June capital project report during a council meeting Monday evening, Coun. Bronwynne Wilton asked for updated designs and more public engagement on the proposed improvements to Confederation Park.
“I know I've asked this before but I'm still confused,” said Wilton. “I'm just curious because the report says design ongoing in 2023 (but) I don't see anything on Connect CW.”
Kaileigh Osburn, supervisor of accounting and capital, said that ongoing refers to creating storyboards as well as conducting survey work to create a package so that a landscape architect can create a more detailed plan.
Final designs will be concentrated in 2024 and $150,000 is budgeted for construction in 2025.
"So in 2024, we will do the concept and more detailed drawings to get right down to the nitty-gritty," said Osburn.
But Wilton felt more community input is necessary considering she couldn’t remember seeing more than a brief glimpse of the plans herself.
“I think some type of neighbourhood engagement would be really important,” said Wilton. “There are a lot of people that live right along that stretch of land and don't have access to many play structures or other types of uses anywhere close.”
Osburn said that Wilton’s point was well taken and that she would consider putting the project on Connect CW.
“So we did have a concept plan but without the levels of the typography and everything, we can't be confident that that will work,” said Osburn. “Of course, once we have a design to share for public input we can host a separate neighbourhood engagement session.”
Current proposed improvements include signage throughout the park to share its history, as well as improving existing features like seating, and the safety of existing overpasses and bridges on the park's trail.
“When I say construction, it's just enhancing the features,” said Osburn. “It's still going to be (used as) a passive park”
Osburn said the ultimate goal is to continue the trail from Scott Street to St. David Street and beyond but while the properties they own have been surveyed, there is no access yet.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
