By Pepper Parr
May 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 5 of a multi part series
It is difficult to get a full sense of the size and scope of the Beachway Park that the designers have put together.
It amounts to five different parks all rolled into one – with more than enough to do for any family.
Three kilometres in length from the |Pier to the Canal – a good healthy walk
The distance from the Pier to the Canal is 3 km with all kinds of trails and places to rest. One of the problems with the park in its present form was the lack of food options – and restrooms. Slim pickings with both.
Throughout much of the park’s environment there are dunes that are sensitive and need to be protected from any kind of vehicle and heavy pedestrian traffic.
The west end of the park has space for bacchii ball, Beach Volley Ball, a soccer pitch. There was no mention of a horse shoe pitch – but that could get added.
Those purple splotches are destinations; places to go to swim, play a sport, take part in a small festival; shop at a market garden or look at art that will be for sale.
There are shelter areas for festivals and market and arts and craft sales.
Beacons will be spread throughout the park telling you where you are. Each will have some form of illustration.
Parts of the park will have space to set up tents for short term events.
It will be difficult to get lost. The park designers have come up with a system of markers which they call beacons. They will have both names and number and as you can see from the graphic above – they will be spread throughout the park.
This is going to be a walking park – there will be paths galore that are well marked. What hasn’t been explained is how well lit the paths and trails will be. without lights at night the park would become a dangerous place.
When the plans for a park were first put out in 2012 the argument went that houses were going to be torn down to make space for parking lots. The design that is on the table today does have parking lots but they are not in places where houses exist.
The houses are being taken out so that park facilities can be built and Lakeshore Road re-aligned.
Brian,
Remember this is what the $14.4 Million dollar Pier WAS SUPPOSED to do…bring in boaters with money to fill our restaurants and shops. Only a cruise ship to tie up to the Pier!!
The plans look very nice! However is $16 million for land expropriation worth it for a park under Hydro wires beside a stinky poop plant with the constant sound of Truck Air brakes and Harley’s going over the Skyway in the background. Spend the $16 million developing a marina that rivals the one in Bronte with a walkable breakswalls instead. This connects people to the water and brings in Boaters with money to fill our restaurants. Before everyone screams environment keep in mind there is zero Virgin unaltered waterfront in Burlington – Spencer smith was a Harbour before it was infilled – we should build out our waterfront assets- the Asian Carp and Zebra mussels will adapt
My heart goes out to the beachway residents. Those that have sold, those that are debating, those who wish to stay long term. No matter what position they’re in they continue to be under the microscope. To the government bodies they deal with…. this is just business. But to these homeowners, its their lives.
Lets have some compassion. Think about how we would all feel if you were told our life is about to change because our address needs to change.
This isn’t just about a park…. its about the upheaval of lives. Not many initiatives that get argued on these pages out and out affect a life to this extent.
Take a breath and just think about it. It’s a lot more than dollars and cents.
ATTENTION!! BURLINGTON BEACHWAY MASTER PLAN – Preliminary Costing Summary
$23,459,448 MILLION
(not including approx $16,000,000 to purchase the homes)!!!!
Majority of amenities (horse shoe pitch might get added) will be used during good weather months!
Yearinthepast!
Finally someone who gets it!!! Barbara is happy with the vision – a 40 year old vision on the backs of home owners and tax payers!
Yep – the Pier (that only serves as an observation deck) $14.4 million and a few homes $16 million…money well spent!! NOT
I had a chance to review the Acquisition Plan Document. It is definitely fair to the homeowners. Not so fair to the Halton Region taxpayers.
In 2013 value for 30 homes estimate $10 million.
Now, 2015, 3 of 30 homes have been acquired (-10%). However, the new value of the remaining properties is estimated at $11.6 million (+10%).
???
They have acquired 10% of the homes, that don’t add any significat space to the park and drove the value up by 10%+.
If they continue down this path, which they are going to. Based on continued real estate appreciation in Burlington and the region acquiring homes at 1 per year. In 10 years we will have about 16 homes worth about $16 million.
Seems like a great investment! I want to live there!
It can happen if we bring in bulldozers and have big bonfire with all the wood from the shacks that are in the way. If anything, the property owners should pay the city for the costs to demolisz the homes. I am tired of paying taxes and see nothing is happening with a good park plan. I want to see park before I die.
Thank you for providing us updates on the Beachway Master Plan. The Gazette is my go to place for information on what is going on in the city. It is not always easy to get to all the various public meetings so I appreciate your efforts.
I look forward to the implementation of the positive improvements to the park.
Any updates on the Burloak Park Master Plan?
Pepper, thank you for this series on the Beachway Park. Great to be able to see the whole vision.
You need a vision, otherwise you’ll never achieve your dreams or aspirations!
Pepper, why are you wasting your time writing about this ” Master Plan”. Perhaps you should be writing on how much time and money has been wasted on planning something that will NEVER happen!!! How about including the fact the the region is not willing to pay the home owners the amount of money that their homes are worth!!! So therefore no home owner will be moving anytime soon and therefore there is no plan!!!!
How about that money go towards something worth while and stop wasting tax payers money!!!!!
It would be great if the city could build a roller coaster along the waterfront like in the old days at Crystal Beach on Lake Erie. We had so much fun when we were kids. There used to also be an amusement park on the Hamilton side of the lift bridge and it would be nice if we could get an amusement park built today on the Burlington side, with rides and games for families to enjoy, a smaller version of Canada’s Wonderland. I hope the park designers think about building an amusement park.