Inverlea Park is no longer on firehall site list

Chemong, Sunset Park remains in play for new north-end station

City council voted a final time on Monday to remove Inverlea Park from the short list of sites being considered for the city’s new north-end firehall.

A vote from earlier this month to remove the park from the short list was preliminary; on Monday it was ratified before council with no debate.

Evan Bates, speaking on behalf of the group Friends of Inverlea Park, said at Monday’s virtual meeting that he “applauded” the decision.

“Inverlea represents a piece of Peterborough’s heritage ... I urge you as city decision-makers to please preserve and enhance our green spaces for generations to come,” Evans said.

It recently came to light that the city is obliged under the Charlotte Jane Nicholls land trust agreement from 1890 to keep the Riverside Park at Dennistoun Avenue and Parkhill Road undeveloped.

Many neighbours of the park have said they don’t want their park replaced with a firehall — and people living elsewhere in the city wanted the park to be preserved, too.

One of the neighbours of the park, Johan Ragetli, told councillors in his delegation on Monday that 5,800 people signed a petition to keep the park as a green space.

Robert Gibson said he agreed that the park should remain green, and Jacob Rodenburg asked councillors to “create more nature” rather than more development.

“Parks are not empty spaces waiting for development — they’re green jewels,” he said.

The removal of Inverlea Park from the shortlist leaves two possible locations for the new north-end firehall: Chemong and Sunset Park at Sunset Boulevard and Chemong Road and the now-closed Northcrest Arena on Marina Boulevard at Water Street.

A new virtual public consultation process on the site selection is expected soon on the city’s website.

Inverlea Park had been under consideration, according to a new city staff report, because it offers good response time to the entire north end of the city in addition to easy boat access to the Otonabee River.

The city is looking to replace its aging north-end Fire Station 2, currently located at 1558 Carnegie Ave.

It was built in 1968 and is inaccessible for people with physical challenges and doesn’t meet the current standards for modern fire stations.

The city hired Dillon Consulting to review city-owned sites where the new firehall could go, selecting the three city-owned sites.

Meanwhile, other north-end neighbours have protested against considering Sunset Park, which is near Walmart and has a recreational trail running through it. More information on the proposed relocation of the fire station is posted by the city at peterborough.ca/en/ city-hall/fire-station-2-relocation-project.aspx.