Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
The Municipality of Jasper will develop refurbishment plans for Robson and Lion鈥檚 Parks after council provided feedback during its June 28 committee of the whole meeting.
Aside from new playground structures added to Lion鈥檚 Park over two years ago, neither park has seen significant reinvestment recently.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to get some guidance from committee of the whole with respect to the scope and generalized uses,鈥� CAO Bill Given told council.
A total of $20,000 was approved for developing refurbishment plans, with administration engaging WSP to conduct the planning exercise.
Rob McDonnell, landscape architect with WSP, presented to council the potential funding scenarios and the various upgrades that could occur at the parks over the next 10 years.
While Robson Park benefits from being located close to downtown and the schools, it contains minimal infrastructure and limited parking.
McDonnell suggested some of the park could be allocated towards a garden area and a plaza.
Lion鈥檚 Park, meanwhile, caters more to residents and features existing servicing and playground equipment, but the playground equipment styles vary.
Existing playground structures would be consolidated as part of a larger redesign, and features such as a built-up toboggan hill could be added to the area.
Other suggestions for Lion鈥檚 Park included a seating area for locals to gather and view the playground, and a programmed recreation area that would retain basketball courts and possibly add other features.
鈥淭he size and the shapes, this is not necessarily what the final form will look like,鈥� McDonnell said regarding the presentation.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a bit of a high-level shopping list where we鈥檙e putting down what we think are the right types of spaces and uses for those spaces and how they may relate to each other in terms of the layout.鈥�
Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey inquired about a skating area for Robson Park and potentially a spray park at Lion鈥檚 Park.
McDonnell noted that a skating area was doable, while warning that a large spray park was a multi-million-dollar project that required a lot of infrastructure to be installed.
Mayor Richard Ireland noted how the usage of Lion鈥檚 Park had increased in recent years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really fulfilling to see the community using that space, and so to improve it as a playground is wonderful,鈥� he said.
Ireland did raise concerns about whether Parks Canada鈥檚 plans for housing development south of Lion鈥檚 Park could impact development plans for the park.
He also mentioned how Jasper had hosted its National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at Robson Park, and that they could potentially 鈥淚ndigenize鈥� the space.
Coun. Scott Wilson noted how a permanent World Tree could be installed in Robson Park so a new tree didn鈥檛 have to be harvested every holiday season.
He added how Robson Park should probably have priority over Lion鈥檚 Park.
Out of four funding scenarios, administration recommended a total investment of $750,000 over 10 years, inclusive of $250,000 in fundraising or grants.
Council made no final commitments to any particular upgrades or funding scenario during the meeting.
Once the planning process is completed early this fall, the results will inform the 2023 municipal budget to be considered by council.
Committee received the presentation on the Robson and Lions Park's planning process for information.
