Sapperton residents have less than two weeks left to share their thoughts on the future of Hume Park.
The city has a survey open at its Be Heard New West engagement site until Aug. 16.
The survey is looking for park users’ feedback on four options: two separate proposals for the upper park, and two separate proposals for the lower park and bluffs area.
The feedback will help the city to develop a new park master plan, designed as a 20-year, long-term vision for the popular East Columbia Street park. Hume Park, established in 1912, offers both active recreation and passive greenspace on a 31.7-acre site next to the Brunette River.
“With ecologically sensitive areas, aging infrastructure and future adjacent development, Hume Park faces challenges to balance a variety of user needs and interests to continue to serve the community,” the Be Heard website notes.
For the upper park – the area that includes the playground, splash park, pool and sports fields/courts – the city is weighing the trade-offs between flexible recreation spaces and regulation-sized sports courts.
In both cases, the new park design would include an entry plaza and a consolidated washroom/concession/storage area. Both ideas also call for a nature/adventure playground and an aquatics area – a flexible space that could be used for such facilities as an outdoor pool, wading pool, spray features or urban beach. (The city will hold another community engagement process in the future to specifically look at the water-related components.)
Likewise, for the lower park and bluffs area, the city is eyeing two distinct approaches designed to help protect the fish-bearing river and riparian zone and to make the area more accessible.
The two possible approaches are designed to balance increased park capacity with protection of its ecology and natural features.
One approach focuses on ecology and bringing the natural elements further into Lower Hume Park, with more areas for habitat/biodiversity and native planting, plus the creation of a fish habitat and newly constructed wetland area.
The other option looks at ways to expand the open space for informal use, socializing and gathering, with the removal of the existing baseball diamond in favour of a multi-use lawn and the addition of boardwalks to provide access to the Brunette River.
Diagrams and further details of all the options are available in documents posted on the Be Heard website.
The site notes that another open house is planned for this winter (2021/22) to unveil draft options for the master plan, and the final master plan would be presented to council for endorsement in the spring of 2022.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
