To fix our ailing parks, city mulls selling underutilized green space

Out of 79 municipal parks in Sault Ste. Marie, Anna Marinelli Park hit the jackpot this week.

Located in the heart of Jamestown – the neighbourhood featured in last year's CTV W5 program Steel Town Down about the Sault's opioid crisis – the little park was approved by City Council this week to receive a major upgrade in 2020.

Details weren't discussed by councillors, but display panels brought by city planners to design workshops last week suggested we might like a climbing wall, a skate park or new playground equipment. Or maybe we'd prefer sports fields built on adjacent land?

City Council voted on Monday to work with community partners to revitalize Anna Marinelli Park, with staff from the city's public works and engineering department installing new playground components.

Councillors also green-lighted a multi-year plan under which three other parks will be refurbished annually, starting in 2021.

A new full-time staffer is to be added to the city payroll to oversee the new parks and green space plan.

In the case of Anna Marinelli Park, the Sault Ste. Marie Soup Kitchen Community Centre is helping with funding it got from District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board.

In future years, city officials plan to pursue both public- and private-sector support.

But buried in 113 densely formatted pages about parks and recreation initiatives submitted to city councillors this week are two sentences that point to a further possibility.

"A report will be forthcoming from the legal department which will identify excess underutilized city-owned green space/properties recommended for sale," writes Virginia McLeod, the city's manager of recreation and culture.

"Revenue from this sale of properties could provide the financial resources to fund the neighborhood parks and green spaces multi-year plan."

Selling parks to fix other parks?

McLeod says city staff believe existing parks – those that are actually parks – should be kept.

But Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Shoemaker has long advocated studying all local parks to determine whether some should be declared surplus and sold.

In March, 2016, Shoemaker proposed cutting city spending on parks maintenance.

In September of that year, he asked for a survey of parks usage to determine whether changes were needed to park configurations, purpose or use.

Then, in November, 2017, Shoemaker asked for a review of the city's practice of accepting donations of parkland from developers of new subdivisions, expressing concern about the cost to the city of servicing new parks.

In March of last year, however, he morphed into a parks proponent, asking for two new green spaces, one on Jamestown, the other downtown.

Responding to Shoemaker's September, 2016 request for a usage survey, the city has been comparing usage profiles of all 79 local parks.

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre has been assisting, adding census-derived demographic data for each park's service area, and red-flagging parks that are less than a kilometre away from other parks.

Ratings based on this soon-to-be-completed analysis will be used to pick the three parks that will receive upgrades each year.

"Staff recognizes that neighbourhood needs may vary and community engagement process will help identify what types of equipment and amenities residents would like to see in each park," McLeod says.

Here's how parks are distributed across the city's five wards:

• Ward 1 has 18 parks
• Ward 2 has 17 parks
• Ward 3 has 16 parks
• Ward 4 has 17 parks
• Ward 5 has 11 parks

There's no disputing that many municipal parks are looking down at the heels.

The last major replacement of playground equipment was in the 1990s when all wooden play structures were removed, replaced with creative climbing structures that included slides and monkey bars.

Several Sault parks still have playground equipment dating back to the 1960s and 1980s.

This week, City Council updated its Parks and Recreation Master Plan to include priorities for the next five years: 2020 to 2025.

High-level priorities include replacing the W. J. McMeeken Centre ice pad, implementing a park revitalization program, developing a downtown plaza, improving amenities along the John Rowswell Hub Trail, evaluating prospects for future skate park development, and using technology to improve service delivery of local parks and recreation opportunities.

Other objectives listed in the five-year plan include:

• investigate addition of winter fat-bike trail at Bellevue Park
• install climbing wall at John Rhodes Community Centre pool
• replace rink shack at Esposito Park with new building to support summer and winter programming requirements, washrooms, water fountain and outdoor sheltered area
• develop paved pathway from bus stop on Queen Street to the splash pad
• monitor Bellevue Park duck pond circulation to determine if it needs to be changed. Current high water levels have improved circulation
• review skate park equipment and opportunities for Phase 2 expansion, based on funding
• assess costs of a three-kilometre mountain bike trail at Finn Hill section of the Hub Trail
• install parking lot lighting at Strathclair sports complex
• widen exit onto Black Road from Strathclair to include a turning lane
• install netting at slo-pitch field ‘A’ at Strathclair
• installation of sprinkler system on Tom Tipton field to improve turf quality
• install new score clock at Tom Tipton soccer field
• review and assess Jo Foreman Track surfacing to determine costs and future
• assess bleachers at Rocky DiPietro Field
• replace field lighting at Rocky DiPietro Field
• replace sprinkler system at John Rhodes Community Centre
• replace starting blocks at John Rhodes pool
• improve layout and seating options in lobby of John Rhodes pool entrance
• develop an accessible viewing area at John Rhodes arena 2
• develop one set of six to eight outdoor recreational pickleball courts at Elliott Sports Complex
• investigate partnerships to assist with restoration of bocce courts at Downey Park and Elliott Sports Complex
• new departmental ice re-surfacer at W. J. McMeeken Centre
• purchase portable flooring system for Northern Community Centre to support conventions and trade shows
• expand drop-in programming to provide additional times on PD days at Northern Community Centre
• improve seating areas in the lobby of the NCC
• repair interior stucco finish and exterior painting of the Memorial Tower
• suite expansion at GFL Memorial Gardens, conversion of boardroom and office into private lounge
• resurface Seniors Drop-In Centre parking lot and install drainage
• resurface from Shore Drive to Bellevue Marina ticket dispenser
• replace A, B, D, E, F and G docks at Bellevue Marina
• replace Bondar Marina siding
• investigate and implement new marina registration system
• upgrade Bondar dock/port fender system for cruise ships
• replace main service building roof at south office of Roberta Bondar Park
• touch up galvanized coating on tent cables and anchors at Roberta Bondar Park
• widen exit onto Black Road from Strathclair to include a turning lane
• replace picnic shelter at Pointe Des Chenes day park
• review parking options at Rosedale park to support Ultimate
• provide information and opportunities for youth-focused use of municipal parks and recreation services
• improve layout of Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame at John Rhodes Community Centre
• update commemorative bench program to expand locations
• develop memorial tree program
• determine feasibility of converting outdoor ice rinks to plant-operated multi-season, multi-sport facilities
• implement proactive strategies to accommodate growing parks and recreation needs with emphasis on ‘walkability’ and improved accessibility
• support development of community gardens in city-owned park spaces, for example Forest Heights Community Garden
• expand network of accessible asphalt pathways through Bellevue Park, Elliott Sports Complex, Point des Chenes Day Park
• add additional washroom facility and water-bottle filling station at Strathclair soccer complex
• add lighting at Esposito Pump Track
• redesign layout of Anna McCrea outdoor ice rink
• review rink shacks and support services such as water fountains, washrooms, storage
• advocate for development of Sault Ste. Marie grassroots sport tourism support network
• develop pricing strategy for participation in programs, as well as a financial assistance program for those who can't afford to participate in programs and services

In other news, City Council this week agreed to retain Idea Inc. of Sault Ste. Marie to provide architectural and engineering services for the twin-pad expansion at the Northern Community Centre.

Councillors also officially designated the Northern Community Centre ice rink as the city's top infrastructure project, and applied for funding to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.