Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Final Report • June 2013
Waterfront Zone
The waterfront is one of Victoria Park’s best natural assets. Its prominent location on
the southern edge of Charlottetown affords visitors stunning views of the harbour and
confluence of the Hillsborough, North, and West Rivers. The waterfront zone by its very
nature is one of the most dynamic and exciting areas of the park, balancing both passive
and active program elements and uses.
Sea Wall Improvement
Presently the shoreline protection at Victoria Park consists of a mound type construction
consisting of primarily armour stone or riprap. Depending on the desired result expected
from bolstering the shoreline protection at Victoria Park there are essentially two
options:
• Install a vertical, hard surface along the back edge of the existing shoreline protection using a
steel sheet pile wall complete with concrete face, a conventional concrete retaining wall, or a
combination of both.
• Backfill the area between the boardwalk and the road, re-construct and increase the height of the
existing shoreline protection.
Each options for seawall reconstruction improves the protective capabilities of the
existing method of protection and impedes the impacts of the predicted rise in sea level
due to global warming.
There are some difficulties in adopting either of the options as the entrances to the
park at Brighton Road/Queen Elizabeth Drive in the northwest corner of the park and
Kent Street are at a lower elevation than the elevation at the Fort Edward Historic Site.
This is a concern because in the event of overtopping due to storm surges or some
other force that Mother Nature conjures up the water will be trapped in these low
lying areas. The grassy median between the Park Road and the wood boardwalk is
minimal in these locations, and would require the construction of a second interior
wall or the raising of the road to match the new elevations. This represents a
significant investment on the part of park. However, given the value of the park
lands themselves, and specifically the usage and popularity of the boardwalk, there is
justification over time in making this investment, especially if it can be integrated with
the creation of an improvement waterfront multi-modal trail.
Waterfront Boardwalk
The major move for the waterfront zone includes the redevelopment of the cross
section from the shoreline to the Park Driveway. Reconstructing the road, although a
major initiative, can take place over time, and the dual pressures of sea level rise due
to climate change and the need to better accommodate multi-modal transportation
provide a strong rationale for this investment.
The existing boardwalk is one of the most popular facilities in the park. The present
cross section, at 2.5 metres wide, safely accommodates pedestrian traffic but is
not wide enough for any wheeled users. The boardwalk is also set away from the
shoreline itself, and does not invite access or physical connection to the water. One
of the challenges for the park is the need to encourage cycling traffic and broader,
regional scale active transportation connections. The seasonal lane closure continues
to be a point of contention, with both a strong supportive following and an equal
number of voices in opposition. In seeking to achieve a more balanced approach
to park uses that focus predominantly on non-motorized users, opportunities to
de-emphasize the importance of the road and strengthen the active transportation
connectivity should be encouraged.
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