A new draft park strategy offers a number of "creative solutions" to keep up with the growing - and competing - demands for its services, from upping the budget to repurposing land for other uses.
"These increasing demands for service delivery, along with a growing inventory of parks, are placing further pressure on a system which is already at capacity," said the the strategy, which was released ahead of the five Talktober community meeting sessions this month.
It outlines 10 key actions for the city to take, chief of which is an operational plan for the 124 parks. Under the heading park re-investment, it says Prince George should decommission underused facilities. Playgrounds, too, should take on that approach and have better assessment for safety in place. Accessibility, riverfront spaces, visitor services and creating destination parks were also considered priorities.
Past sessions and online feedback from almost 500 residents found they favoured four themes: riverfront parks and trails, neighbourhood park improvements, destination parks and trail connectivity.
The strategic parks planner said the city agrees its park need improvement.
"The quality of parks can be improved if the existing inventory is reduced, services are realigned, or additional resources are added," said Laurie-Ann Kosec in a statement. "The Parks Strategy will look at what we have, what we need to improve, and how we can prioritize investment to make our parks the best that they can be."
The 90-page document offers a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood look, labelling each park by priority, with notes about the park's condition or value-added aspects. Some have dog parks or ice rinks or note riverfront potential. Almost 50 facilities are categorized as in "poor condition."
Respondents said replacing playground equipment at Rainbow Park and the picnic shelter at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park were both high priorities. Others were new dog parks in the Hart and College Heights. The small "tot lot" parks, however, are low on the list.
"These scenarios and options recognize the need to strike a balance between working within existing financial resources, while attempting to meet the demands for park resources," Kosec said.
In the East District, the strategy said Blackburn Park should get a toddler playground or a skate or bike park addition. The East Bowl District, with a large population of 16,300, called for reinvestment in Ron Brent Park using proceeds from the land sale as well as more development in existing destination parks and schools. The Hart and North Nechako could use improvements to Corporal Darren Fitzpatrick Bravery Park. The strategy also suggests Heather Road Park be remade into a dog park. Both the West and West Bowl district need their own destination parks, the report said.
Residents can still give input, either at the Talktober sessions starting Oct. 12 in College Heights or by filling out the feedback form on the city's website by Nov. 16. The final strategy will be presented to council in early 2017.
