A concept plan will be the next step for Polson Park.The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee is recommending a landscape architect be hired to develop the plan, which will then be put before the public for input. NORD would spend $50,000 for the architect's services. Parks and recreation manager Al McNiven says one of the first decisions will be if there's a public gathering place, like grandstands.McNiven says, "The rest of the plan would flow around that."
As for the size of the grandstands? "You try to make decision about what size it should be built to generally handle the activities in the park, and then when you get those one in 20 year events, you bring in supplementary seating," said McNiven.Vernon resident Sharon Lawrence made a presentation to the committee, saying there's community support for new grandstands, but on a smaller scale. Lawrence tells KISS FM, "That old grandstand was pretty big and I think that this could be compact.We could be having many more civic gathering there..Surely we won't entertain hosting the Olympic Torch Relay (in January ) in the covered arena (Wesbild Centre)"
The old grandstands burned down in a fire in August 2006.Heritage advocate Barbara Hartley says, "It doesn't have to be a monstrous structure right off the bat. We might take the historical perspective that's already been presented." Hartley says the architect of the original stands built 100 years ago, started small with bleachers and then expanded it with a roof, and more capacity later.
The city of Vernon also has to decide how to spend the $1.5 million in insurance money from the grandstand fire three years ago.
Here's the actual motion passed by the GVAC Thursday regarding the park: "That the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee recommend to the Regional Board that the Regional District hire the services of a Landscape Architect to prepare a concept plan, including public gathering places, for Polson Park based on: the vision of the City of Vernon Council, input from community user groups, information from the October 2006 public meeting, a need for a maintenance building to store equipment required for maintenance in the park, and that when a concept plan is prepared there be an opportunity for public feedback; and further," that the funds to hire the services of Landscape Architect be drawn from the future expenditure reserve fund (estimated at $50,000); and further," that the Regional District budget be amended accordingly."
No comments:
Post a Comment