Wellesley takes on $700,000 debt for parkland

40 acres of bush, farmland to be developed over several years

WELLESLEY — The Township of Wellesley is taking on $700,000 in debt to purchase parkland at Queens Bush and Hutchison roads.

Politicians voted behind closed doors to make the purchase in June and just this week made the deal public.

Mayor Joe Nowak said the need for more parkland was identified in a 2014 study.

“It’s forward looking,” Nowak said. “This property will probably be developed over the next five, 10, 15 years.

“But to have it and to have it secured I think is a big step forward so I couldn’t be happier.”

The 2014 study found that 85 per cent of respondents, Nowak said, supported spending township cash to create more park space.

The total cost for the land is $800,000 but about $100,000 will come from a parkland fund. The Region of Waterloo will issue the debenture on the township’s behalf.

According to a regional report it will be a 10-year term.

Nowak said the township didn’t look to reserve funds for more of the cost because it didn’t want to be too short on cash.

“If we’re going to do some development on this property over time we didn’t want to have our hands strung,” he said.

In 2016 council had to dip heavily into a reserve fund for the second year in a row to keep tax hikes down. About $400,000, the equivalent of a 10 per cent tax hike, was drawn from the reserve.

Debt for a fire hall and for an arena were paid off in 2015 and 2016, Nowak said, and will help cover the cost of the new debt for the park project.

In the short term staff will prepare some concept drawings for early development of the site. There will be extensive public consultation.

Nowak said soccer fields, a dog park and trails were identified in the 2014 study as priorities so he expects those items will be the initial focus.

Made up of 10 acres of bush and 30 acres of workable farmland the land deal has two parts. The first will see the township pay $800,000 for 32 acres. The second part will see the property owner donate eight acres to the township.

The deal is expected to close Sept.1.