T. Brown, President, Principal Planner and D. Kwan, Senior Planner, Monteith Brown Planning Consultants, and C. Tucker-Reid, President, Tucker-Reid & Associates provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Highlights of the presentation included:
- the purpose of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (the "Master Plan");
- an overview of the project phases;
- the vision and guiding principles;
- key parkland recommendations, including updates to the Town's Official Plan and Parkland Dedication By-law, the acquisition of land to maintain and expand parks and recreation services, development of policies and manuals, and implementation of the Waterfront Parks and Open Space Master Plan and Marina Master Plan;
- key facility recommendations, including enhancements to existing indoor facilities and opportunities for new outdoor sports and recreation amenities;
- key service delivery recommendations, such as reviewing the existing Community Connection service delivery model, program participation rates, and service levels, as well as developing policies and performance metrics;
- the implementation plan, timeline, and funding strategy; and,
- next steps in developing the final Master Plan.
A question and answer period ensued between Members of Council, Staff, T. Brown, D. Kwan, and C. Tucker-Reid regarding:
- the opportunity for Members of Council to provide feedback regarding the draft Master Plan;
- clarification regarding future community engagement efforts;
- feedback received to determine the anticipated demand for a cricket pitch;
- whether a comparative analysis with other municipalities considered factors such as population size to determine the demand for services, such as dog parks;
- identifying the demand and location for the proposed refrigerated outdoor skating rink;
- opportunities to enhance existing Town parks;
- whether the Town’s Official Plan and Land Acquisition Strategy will support the dedication of parkland in Downtown Whitby;
- the adaptability of the proposed multi-use fields to accommodate evolving trends in recreational sports participation rates;
- opportunities to encourage community participation in neighbourhood programs;
- clarification regarding the proposed outdoor fitness equipment along the waterfront; and,
- partnering with developers to include public recreation facilities within private developments.