Greely happy with city's three-park plan

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Emma Jackson

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A small group of residents applauded the city of Ottawa's plans for three neighbourhood parks in Greely, after staff hosted an open house on Thursday, Jan. 12.

The three parks are close together and relatively small, and have been designed in conjunction so they can share amenities, explained city parks planner Jennifer Hemmings. She said since they are so small - ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 hectares - they are intended to be "neighbourhood parks" used only by residents who live in their vicinity. Combined together, however, they constitute something like a community park, she said.

The first park will be built in the summer of 2012 on the western edge of Greely's South Village development. The park will include junior and senior play structures following a "nature theme" including elements such as faux tree trunk bases and oversized toadstools for climbing. The 0.5 hectare park would also include some informal paths.

Directly north of South Village Park the city plans to develop Pebble Trail Woods in the Woodstream development, likely in 2013. The small lot is currently a wooded area, and the city intends to maintain the woodlot's natural features while building several informal pathways through the trees. The path would include seven different "activity nodes."

Some would be made from more natural elements, such as balance logs or uneven stone steps. Other nodes would be man-made workout structures such as push up beams, chin up bars, a sit-up bench and a metal swirl for stretching.

"We wanted to offer something that had minimal impact on the existing woodlot," Hemmings said.

Landscape architect Anne-Claude Schellenberg, a consultant with the city of Ottawa, said the activity nodes are making a comeback since the ParticipACTION craze 40 years ago.

"It was a trend in the 1970s, but this is kind of updating that concept and it's all coming back," she said.

That park will be connected by a culvert crossing to Pebble Trail Park in the planned Thunderbird Cove development, which has not yet been registered with the city. That park won't be finished until the owner decides to start developing the property. The city plans to install a play structure, a basketball court and a mini soccer field on the lot. That park is also in the 2013 budget.

Greely Community Association president Bruce Brayman said he was "pleasantly surprised" to find a soccer field and basketball court in the plan.

"I didn't think we were going to get them," he said, noting the mini soccer field will be an especially welcome addition to the village. "Its mini fields we need. My daughter had to play down in Vars, Osgoode and Kars (because there aren't enough in Greely). So minis are what's needed most."

Brayman said the activity nodes will also be a positive addition. "People who are joggers will use it, absolutely. Kids will use it, too, for fun. You'll have teenagers hanging off them," he said.

South Village neighbourhood watch co-ordinator John McCormick said he's very pleased with the proposed plans, but would like to see more options for teenagers to help them burn off their "natural energy."

"Older adolescents don't have anything, they still don't have a skateboard park or anything.

There's got to be something for the early- to mid-teenagers, where they can just burn their energy and have fun, and not do vandalism," McCormick said.

Osgoode Coun. Doug Thompson said he's heard such comments loud and clear, and is looking into bringing a permanent skate park to the Greely Community Centre.

"This (park plan) is great for younger families and for seniors to get out and get active, but (lack of activities for teenagers) is something we've certainly heard and would like to follow through with if it's possible," he said.

He said Manotick's permanent skate park outside the arena and Osgoode's mini one behind the Osgoode Youth Association have been very successful, and could work in Greely. Mobile skate parks that come in the summer are always packed, he added.

Thompson said the most positive comments he's heard about the park development have been about connectivity.

In a village where each development tends to keep to itself and abide by its own set of rules, Thompson said it's nice to see some integration. "There's a sense of connection here between the subdivisions, they've sort of intertwined with the parklands.

It's really exciting for the community because we're finally getting to the point where we're starting to look at connectivity for the village," he said.

At previous community design plan meetings, many residents have asked for more paths connecting subdivisions. McCormick has been pushing for subdivision integration since he moved here three years ago. Thompson said the park integration is a step in the right direction.

"Paths will be a challenge, but it's nice to see when we do have parkland to develop that's in close proximity that we can connect them," he said.

Although South Village Park won't connect to the other two parks right away, Hemmings said once Thunderbird Cove is built out there will be a connecting walkway to help residents access the other two areas.

Comments can be directed to park planner Jennifer Hemmings at 613-580-2424 ext 20157 or jennifer.hemmings@ottawa.ca.

emma.jackson@metroland.com




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