Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

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VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN Final Report • June 2013 Other Operational Considerations Canine Usage of the Park One of Victoria Park’s most important elements is its provision of passive recreational opportunities. One of the most popular forms of passive usage of the park is walking, and many walkers enjoy bringing their dogs to Victoria Park. While under the current by-law, dogs must be on-leash at all times; however there has been a long-standing discussion on the merits of permitted off-leash dog use in some format. In early 2009, a public survey collected data that indicated support for a dog park or off-leash area within the Downtown. The question on off-leash dog use in Victoria Park was also raised during the public consultation process for this comprehensive plan. Presently in Charlottetown, there is one formal dog park at the Human Society. Off-leash dog usage also occurs at Upton Farms and to some extent at the Experimental Farm. With respect to Victoria Park, the public opinion was quite mixed. A core group of dog owners expressed their love of the Park, and their desire to be able to walk their dogs off-leash, whether at certain times of day / year, or on certain trails. The idea was also raised about incorporating a dedicated, fenced off-leash area. Although a proportion of the public supports off-leash usage within the Park, there were a number of specific concerns raised during the consultation period. The online survey asked specifically about off-leash areas and times, and only a third of respondents were in favour of those options. As part of the background research, the study team completed an extensive best practices review on the design of both dedicated dog parks and off-leash management scenarios. This research, along with the management context of the park, led to the recommendation that off-leash dog usage is not appropriate for Victoria Park. The physical size of the park, its patterns of usage and daily population, the sensitivity of the forested areas, and the public concern over off-leash dogs do not support either a dedicated area, or set times / trails. Dogs are valuable members of the community, and their needs and the needs of their owners are important. As such, no changes to the Park’s regulations are recommended; responsible, on-leash dog usage of the park is encouraged and supported. Secondly, there is clear interest and demand for off-leash usage that must be accommodated in the City. The City of Charlottetown should work with the dog park stakeholders to develop a solution for off-leash needs. 60
Final Report • June 2013 VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN Event Management Due to the prominent role that Victoria Park plays within the community, there will be continued interest to hold special events within the park’s boundaries. These events are important to enriching the lives of the citizens of Charlottetown, facilitating public enjoyment and creating connections to the larger community. As well, activities and special events within the park provide significant opportunities to strengthen tourism, culture, recreation, education and makes good economic sense. There is an opportunity to diversify the site’s offer to respond to different audience’s needs and interests attract new visitors, but also maintain a respect for the character and values of the park and engender a deeper connection to this special place. Guidelines for holding events in Victoria Park to assess whether an activity can take place in the park is an important decision-making tool for park staff and event organizers. This will ensure that Victoria Park has the capacity to host these events, activities and events are well coordinated, and that they will be run smoothly and safely for all those attending. Defining what constitutes a special event will trigger a special event assessment. These triggers can include, but are not limited to: »» The number of attendees (> 250 people) »» Whether external infrastructure is required to hold the event »» Whether the event will impacts on traffic flows, road closures or will tax municipal services. »» Whether liquor will be served. »» Whether the event is intended to generate a profit for organizers. Victoria Park Capacity for Large Events Although Victoria Park is a desirable location for major events, that does not mean that all events are suitable for the Park. When evaluating the appropriateness of events for the Park, the guiding principles must be reviewed, as ultimately it is important that no single use occur that compromises the broad community interests and values. As such, the following event capacity recommendations should guide decision-making: »» Events should be limited to the meadows, or other active zones of the park. At no time should an event compromise the ecological (forested) zone of the park. »» For safety, the occupant capacity for an event should be the lower of either the occupant density or exit capacity. »» The occupant density is the number of people that can safely occupy the open space available, based on a figure of 1.0 square metre / person. »» The space available for the occupant density should not include space allocated for staging, backof-house, washrooms, food or alcohol sales, or other service areas. »» The Province of Prince Edward Island outlines guidelines for food services at special events, and this includes required numbers of toilets and hand-washing stations. »» The exit capacity is the number of people that can safely be evacuated from the site if necessary, given the available exits. Exit capacity assumes that the site must be clear within 5 - 10 minutes, at a rate of 140 people per 2.0 metre wide exit, per minute. Exits should ideally be 2.0 metres wide at a minimum. »» The season of the event should be considered when evaluating the proposal. For example, events in early spring or late fall could increase the likelihood of damage to the grass of the Meadows. Under the Provincial Guidelines for Food Services at Special Events, a 10 hour event with a peak crowd of 10,000 people and no alcohol will require 68 washrooms and 20 hand-washing stations. This may require up to 1000 square metres of surface area. Any alcohol service will increase the washroom requirement by 13%. Special events in Victoria Park have the potential to benefit the community, as well as providing a source of income for the City. However, these short term benefits must not outweigh the long term management objectives for the Park. The City has a new, large scale event venue that is available to host significant events that may not be compatible with the Community’s vision for Victoria Park. 61
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