Crown jewel

Wellington Beach Implementation Plan looks to the future

Wellington’s Rotary Beach is a gem that is loved by locals and visitors alike. But, it has also had its share of challenges over the past few years. In 2018 there was serious flooding which made Beach Street inaccessible for much of the spring. During Covid, the gates had to be locked regularly due to folks flocking to the waterfront to escape lockdown in other areas. There were user fees put in place for visitors, and then taken away. It’s been a series of learning experiences.

This caused County staff to start looking at the beach more closely. In the spring of 2022, a landscape architect firm was retained by the municipality to explore landscape design solutions to address challenges at the beach such as parking, pedestrian access, accessibility and outdated amenities. A design workshop and public open house were held, which resulted in three conceptual designs—Big Move, Tweak, and Naturalize.

The Big Move concept represented a picture of how the beach could be developed over a longer period of time, with significant financial investment and major infrastructure improvements. The Tweak concept carried out how the beach could be improved in the immediate and interim timeframe, with modest financial investment and infrastructure improvements. And finally, the Naturalize concept was focussed on how the beach could be developed as a natural environment where vehicle access is strictly limited to access and drop-off only. The concept contains elements that may be implemented in the immediate term and over the longer timeframe, with modest to significant financial investment.

The three options were developed by community stakeholders, who were identified by the Wellington Waterfront Task Team. With three options in hand, the public was consulted via a public open house, intercept interviews and an online public survey to identify what they liked and disliked about each concept.

Following the 2022 Wellington Beach Revitalization Plan , the County completed additional technical studies, including a detailed review of Quinte Conservation’s Shoreline Management Plan. These findings have all been incorporated into the new Wellington Beach Implementation Plan, which outlines next steps to improve the beach in a phased, practical way.

On June 25 of this year, the municipality held a public open house, with County staff members Albert Paschkowiak, Environmental Services and Sustainability Supervisor and Ashley Stewart, Community Services and Programs Coordinator, as well as Councillor Corey Engelsdorfer in attendance to present the concept and answer any questions.

“The draft plan presents a common-sense and cost-conscious approach to addressing fundamental operational issues at the beach and presents options for future management. These issues are frequent flooding that occurs along beach street and results in a number of potholes, drainage issues, sedimentation of the channel, and unrestricted access to the beach via vehicles,” says Paschkowiak.

The key priority in the plan includes fixing drainage issues along Beach Street. The lower corner, and road into the beach are notorious for standing water and flooding. To fix the issue, a bioswale will need to be installed to move the water away into the marsh, and the grading and elevation of the road will have to be changed.

Another key change includes moving parking from infront of the dune system of the roadway to the north, after the old water pump house is removed. This will also enhance dune health.

Other features are a subtle berm on the far west end in an attempt to keep vehicles off of the beachfront, improving accessibility by extending the boardwalk further to the west, changing the flow of traffic near the boat launch, a canoe and kayak launch with storage lockers, proposed bi-annual dredging, and maintaining and enhancing key amenities like the jetty, parking and pathway.

A funding application to the Active Transportation Fund to improve pedestrian access in Wellington, with a focus on better connections to the beach, has also been submitted. As part of the proposed plan, a new pathway between Oak Street and Main Street would create a safer, more direct walking route to CML Snider Public School where summer parking is available. Sidewalks are also proposed along Beach Street to provide a safer, dedicated pedestrian entrance to the beach.

Wellington resident Dan Leeming, who was a member of the Wellington Waterfront Task Team and took part in the initial charrette sessions, said it was gratifying to see that the County had carried on with the necessary technical studies for the Wellington Beach revitalization.

“This information, in hand with the well attended ‘Ideas Workshop’ held by the Planning Partnership in 2022, allows for a complete plan to proceed for costing and an implementation strategy,” said Leeming. “Wellington is fortunate to have direct access to Lake Ontario on publicly owned land. I particularly liked the initiatives that encourage public use such as; a canoe and kayak launch and storage area, the proposed walkway along the new jetty, better and safer parking and arrangements and the walkway route into the village for clearer access and during peak periods.”

Leeming noted that funding is tight, but was hopefully priority components could be started and maybe even involve a community fundraising partnership with the municipality.

Although some smaller maintenance items may be addressed through the regular operating budget, the larger improvements are subject to Council approval and available funding, meaning there is currently no funds set aside to implement the plan. The plan will come to council later this year.

To learn more about the plan, and to take part in the survey, visit haveyoursay.thecounty.ca/wellingtonrotary-beach-revitalization