Parks and open space master plan a balance between aspirations and affordability

While the plan is “aspirational” in nature, Fort Erie’s mayor is cautioning that the goals of the town’s parks and open space master plan could run up against the cold, hard realities of dollars and cents.

Consultants working for the town presented at the October 7 council-in-committee meeting a draft version of the updated parks and open space master plan, which outlines a future vision for town-owned parks, trails and sports fields. It builds on the previous plan completed in 2006 and has been in the works for several years.

Steve Wever, president of GSP Group, called the draft plan aspirational, and acknowledged the weighty document calls for a large number of projects.

“It is a long-term plan, so while it is ambitious, there’s a lot of projects and recommendations identified. Those will have costs to them. It’s not that that will need to be done or is expected to be done overnight,” he said.

“It’s aspirational. It sets out what we’ve heard from the community, what it would likely take to implement those ideas and priorities over the next 10, 15, 20 years.”

Mayor Wayne Redekop was quick to point out the potential funding challenges that may come with all the goals set out in the draft plan. He worried that when the plan gets into public hands, some individuals or groups may develop expectations that are unreasonable.

“My concern is that it’s out there and the more it’s out there the more likely people are going to expect this is going to happen,” he said. “I think it really boils down to how much we can afford.”

The draft plan as it currently stands was light on financials, especially on the capital side, and Wever said that was by design.

The early work–which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic–focused on figuring out what the public and user groups think is needed and will be needed in the years ahead. He said they’ve been cognizant of costs throughout, and will incorporate more financial considerations as they drill down to a final plan.

However, he also pointed out that funding for park projects won’t solely be on the shoulders of taxpayers. Development charges and other revenue from growth can be paired with grants, fundraising, sponsorships and other outside sources of money to help pay for these projects, Wever said.

“By no means are we sending you on a foolhardy mission,” he said. “This is all grounded in good common sense planning.”

One of the key parts of applying for grants, he added, is demonstrating a need and desire for the project.

“In the absence of a master plan that is aspirational, you might not achieve what you might otherwise achieve,” he said.

He also pointed out some of the projects in the plan have already been identified in capital budget forecasts.

Still, with a challenging budget process looming, and an infrastructure gap the town must consider, Redekop cautioned that what people want and what the municipality can ultimately afford may be two different things.

There’s also the consideration of not just the capital investment, but the ongoing maintenance and operational costs that follow. That’s in part why the draft plan not only considers new parks and open spaces, but updating older spaces.

“(There’s a trend that sees) the need for balancing new spaces with the renovation and renewal of existing spaces,” said GSP Group planner Patrick Casey.

Some of the priorities they heard from the community include a need to be inclusive and age friendly, such as providing benches and shaded space.

Casey said trail systems were also very popular, as well providing open spaces in an equitable distribution.

Upkeep and general cleanliness, as well as the protection of natural assets and public access to nature, trails and the waterfront were also identified as priorities.

“To provide a system that’s meant to work with the rich diversity of spaces that the Town of Fort Erie offers,” Casey said.

Currently, park space comes in at 4.32 hectares per 1,000 people, Casey said. That’s above the benchmark of four hectares per 1,000 people, something they hope to maintain as the town grows.

There is still some time to provide feedback on the draft plan. The feedback period runs until October 20.

A final plan will then be developed for council approval. The expectation is that the final plan will be presented to council in the winter.

More information on the plan, as well as opportunities to provide feedback can be found at letstalk.forterie.ca.

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