Protect and add parks and green space
City’s lack of natural areas is only going to get worse as residential density and land prices increase
It’s a worrying trend that our beloved parks and greenspaces continue to be presented as sites for potential development, the latest being Inverlea and Sunset parks for construction of a new fire station.
Each time this happens, residents are strongly opposed and even outraged at the idea of permanently eliminating community green space.
This story is long and familiar: Inverlea Park, Jackson Creek and the Parkway lands, 1980s marina redevelopment, and any significant wetland in the city, such as by the Trent-based arena complex, Armour Road, Harper Park, Lily Lake, Loggerhead Marsh and Downers Corners.
Residents’ strong opposition and outrage is not surprising, and the city knows it.
The city has reams of studies and public input that definitively and consistently show Peterborough residents want our parks, community green space and incredible natural heritage protected from being developed and impacted. Residents say, every time they are asked, that it is exactly these green assets that make Peterborough stand out as a desirable place to live and work.
As it stands, Peterborough does not have adequate parkland for our needs.
The city-wide ratio of parkland is at 25 per cent below the recommended standard of one hectare per 1,000 population, and it is unequally distributed. Nearly two-thirds of our planning areas have poor neighbourhood park equity, with poor access, quality and inclusivity. A year ago, consultants identified 134 properties to add to our park system.
This demonstrates a strong case for the new Official Plan and council to establish a great deal more parkland across the city. If not, this lack of green space will get worse as residential density and land prices increase. And we’ll all feel it.
Life under COVID-19 has underscored the immeasurable value our parkland and greenspaces provide to our mental, physical, and community health.
It has reinforced the urgency of preserving and protecting the high-quality natural heritage, woodland trails and spaces we are so fortunate to have.
Site-searches for municipal projects typically focus on vacant city-owned lands, which often narrows it down to parks and open spaces. This highlights the urgency with which the city must acquire functional sites within city boundaries (like Market Plaza) to prepare for more public and private amenities.
Ownership of strategic sites for development would also enable the city to set the terms and building requirements like energy efficiency, affordable housing units, community uses, local contractors, parks, etc. Ownership of sites can also draw private interest and funds, which the city can turn into greater investment.
This same urgency applies to acquiring lands for parks and natural area protection.
The Official Plan enables the city to acquire waterfront lands. The new Official Plan (still in draft) would continue this, adding
Waiting to address natural heritage only when confronted with residents protesting threats to the places they love is no longer acceptable
policies and a fund for acquiring other natural lands.
To meet public expectations, we need to act on acquiring these lands, while better protecting the natural spaces we have. Better protecting these spaces is also true for the Trent University’s Lands and Nature Areas Plan, going to its board of governors for approval this week.
The recent Municipal Parks and Open Space Study tells us there are 250 ha and 149 parcels of city-owned open space.
“Much of this land has potential to become parkland” the report states, adding that lands with “high-value natural heritage features” should be further designated as nature reserves.
A yet-to-be-released report on Natural Heritage for the new Official Plan will be an important tool in achieving these goals. Reimagine Peterborough has been asking for the release of this report for a year and a half. It will enable residents and officials to assess the significance and protections of natural areas into the future.
We urge the city to release this and other background reports as soon as possible, and before the next draft of the delayed Official Plan comes out.
Protecting parks and natural areas, and good consultation, are priorities for Peterborough residents. Waiting to address natural heritage only when confronted with residents protesting threats to the places they love is no longer acceptable.
The high value we all place upon protecting our parks and natural areas must be affirmed in all projects and planning at city hall. The most direct and immediate way to do so is to embed directions clearly into our next Official Plan. Together, let’s rally behind that idea!
Join our email list, follow us on Facebook, and enjoy our other Examiner columns. Reimagine Peterborough is a volunteer citizens movement started in May 2016 to advocate for better public engagement in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape our city’s future through the current Official Plan Review.