Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Final Report • June 2013
Public Presentation of the Draft Plan
The draft comprehensive plan for Victoria Park was presented to the public on
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013. Following that presentation, both the draft report and
presentation file were made available for download from the City’s website, and hard
copies were available on loan from the Parks and Recreation Department. An online
survey was launched to encourage feedback, and the public and major stakeholders
were also invited to provide directed comments to the study team. The report was also
reviewed by City Staff and Council, for their input.
At the public meeting, ten individuals spoke and commented on the plan. Comments
were generally supportive, with several people looking for a more detailed explanation
on specific aspect of the plan. Several questions were posed regarding the proposed
upgrade of the boardwalk, off-leash dog usage of the park, the potential for a National
Historic Site designation, and future use of the Prince Edward Home Lands.
Comments received were varied, and tended to focus on one specific aspect of the plan.
Of the 37 respondents to the online survey, feedback was mixed. Many comments very
strongly supported the plan in its entirety. Of the comments that were in opposition
to the plan, most if not all reflected disagreement with a single specific aspect of the
plan. For example, concerns were raised over the need for a plan at all, the potential
relocation of the PEI Potters, and the upgrade of the boardwalk.
Written comments were received from both the PEI Potters and the Kiwanis Club of
Charlottetown, who expressed concern over very specific aspects of the plan. The PEI
Potters were concerned about relocating from the Caretaker’s Cottage, and felt that their
needs may have been misunderstood. The study team and City staff met with, and
provided a written response to the Potters, to reassure them that they are not going to
be relocated in the short term, and that the City is committed to working with them to
evaluate their future needs.
Based on the comments received at the public meeting and during the public review
period, the final report was refined. Major updates include a focus on winter programs
& uses of the park, more clarification on the types of dog uses permitted, and
refinement of the recommendations for the future use of the Caretaker’s cottage.
Phase Three: Visualizing the Future
Successful public space is timeless, but community and civic needs are constantly
changing and evolving. In order to understand what future expectations or
requirements may be placed on Victoria Park, it is essential to understand what factors
will influence the evolution of those expectations. Phase three of the comprehensive
planning process sought to understand the future needs of Victoria Park by looking
broadly at emerging parks and recreational trends across Canada, assessing the shifting
demographics of the Charlottetown community, and looking at case studies and best
practices to see what lessons may be applied in this context. Through phase three, it
became evident that Charlottetown’s aging population will play a significant role in the
future of Victoria Park. Three case studies were reviewed for applicability to the park,
and key ideas applied to the Charlottetown context. During phase three, an extensive
best practices review focusing specifically on the implications of off-leash parks
was completed, to aid in the decision-making process on this particularly sensitive
topic. The results of phase three were integrated with the outcomes of the public
consultation and applied to the site in the form of two conceptual framework plans.
These plans were visual applications of the proposed program of uses for the site, and
were reviewed with the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Advisory Committee of the City
of Charlottetown.
The Kiwanis Club provided a written letter outlining several concerns over the proposed
parking reconfiguration at the Kiwanis Dairy Bar. City Staff and the study team drafted
a response letter, outlining the rationale for the proposed changes. The reconfiguration
of the parking area will improve the safety for pedestrians and vehicles by creating
enhanced physical separation, and this point was stressed to the Kiwanis Club.
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