By Pepper Parr
May 20, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There was a lot of laudatory comment from municipal council members taking part in a Regional Standing committee that was going through the Regional Staff report on the matter of the Beachway Park.
All the Regional members listened politely to a detailed summary of what was called “visionary, aspirational” and just what the city needed on an underused piece of Burlington’s waterfront.
At the very end of the presentation mention was made of the houses that were still privately owned.
The Regional Councilors then turned to just how much this was going to cost and who was going to pick up the tab – and when would the work begin ?
Hold tightly to your chair.
$51 million
Removal of the hydro towers part of the $51 million tab for Beachway Park.
But that includes getting rid of the unsightly hydro towers – and you the taxpayer don’t have to pay it all at once.
Alan Elgar of Oakville, refereed to the design as Disneyland North – an unfair characterization of what is a superb park plan.
The presentation by the planner and project manager from Brooke McIlroy, the firm hired to over see the design of the park. He sounded a bit like a sales pitch from a time share salesman for a project that had yet to be built but was going to be everything you ever wanted.
The ins and outs of the discussion and debate and how the Standing Committee almost didn’t recommend the staff report until Chair Gary Carr let them know that he didn’t want a report without a recommendation going to Council.
A little bit of procedural hockey pokey and they managed to approve the Staff report and send it off to Council.
The Gazette will report on what happened in detail in a follow up report.
We just wanted you to know that your politicians are getting ready to spend $51 million to been up 27 homes from people who aren’t that keen on selling, make a nice park for you and get rid of the hydro towers that have been in place since 1909.
Capital Expenditures: 2016-2020 2021-2025 2026-2040 Total
Hans raises a good point; election was silent; we need a referendum on this. People deserve better.
The pier is certainly not great Tenni. Late, way over budget and essentially useless. As far as I know you can’t fish of it. You certainly can not dock a boat of it. If we could have had a pier where people could dock their boats we would have encouraged boaters from communities near and far to come to Burlington and enjoy downtown shops and restaurants. We missed out on a great opportunity. I am also totally opposed to acquiring this houses. The expense of this park just isn’t justified. We have much more important things to concern ourselves with.
Hans, this is the most intelligent comment I have read in a long time!! Many of the big dollar items deserve a referendum.
It is Rick Craven’s legacy project!!
Or maybe pass it up, leave the residents alone, and avoid a long term maintenance cost. Then use the money for the huge infrastructure deficit so that the map of Burlington will no longer have “Flood Zones” marked on it.
This looks like somebody’s attempt to create a legacy project which isn’t needed. It’s a very low priority.
It wasn’t debated (AFAIK) during the election and that kind of money deserves a referendum.
$ 85 per household for the next 10 years – WTF that’s 3 bucks more a year than the HDSB teacher increases being asked for? Whoops add in the Catholic school board and its $10 less per year. In the end it’s important to be frugal and sensible but in the grand scheme of things the Tax payer gets to pay one way or another – this is just a drop in the bucket. At least we get a park? Maybe save 1/3 by cutting out the $16million for the home appropriations – Maybe kick in an incentive to improve the curb appeal of select homes rather the do surgery with a shovel on a whole neighbourhood?
OMG Vladimir, As they say…that wasn’t even worth the paper it was written on.
Stanley, Let me assure you that my house is far from being a shack. If this is how you generalize neighborhoods…I would imagine that you generalize backgrounds as well! Generalizing is very dangerous mind set!!
C. Jester – you ask if there will be funds available from the tax payers. Of course the money to pay for this will come from the tax payers…such as the Pier (that doesn’t serve as it was supposed to – economic growth). I’m sure that you noticed that your property taxes went up…I’m sure that you know that Burlington has an infrastructure renewal deficit of $20 million dollars and that’s why the taxes will continue to increase above the rate of inflation. Yes…your tax dollars will be used to create the fantasy Disney Land (with NO rides). Tenni – I presume that would be boring as well!!
Oh. There is nothing wrong with the Pier. It is great!!!
Silly nah sayers would keep Burlington stale and boring.
This will eventually be worth it. Burlington has great lake frontage now and it will eventually be even better. Keeping it natural would be best. We don’t need any more Spencer Smith park approach. The SSP approach is good but keep it natural as possible.
I told my friend who used to live on the strip that one day the city will build a great park and there will be a place for our children to enjoy nature and go fishing and go camping. My friend is dead now, and still no park, only some old houses and a broken street. I am sorry for my friend who used to like to eat pickled eggs and drink vodka on the pier when we fished for smelt on hot summer nights.
I remember those days. That is why I want the park be building now. Get rid of those shacks!!!
The park may or may not get all built as planned. Will there actually be funds available from taxpayers? Getting rid of the hydro towers is very welcome though.
Obviously Mr. Elgar has never been to Disneyland. Not a ride in sight in this park plan. Well put together. Maybe he just thinks the price is a fantasy. In that case he could be right.
Why quit there? Let’s convert that big ugly bridge into a tunnel 🙂
The park will cost much more, as usual. And where is the pressure to do this coming from?
OMFG!!! (pardon the language – but there are no other words – that I want to use). $51 Million – what a farce!! Disneyland cost $17 million to build in 1955, about $116 million in today’s dollars. This is Burlington people – a 2 km seasonal area used by a fraction of Burlingtonians. In 2013 the Disney park hosted approximately 16.2 million guests, making it the third most visited park in the world that calendar year and occupies approximately 85 acres. Lets bring this to perspective…and not make another MISTAKE like the Pier. The Pier and Park will not be an extensive economic value add to Burlington – only an ongoing expenditure. To also add, I am a Beachway owner who is never going to sell to the Region.
Where is the skatepark in the plans?