Reimagined

Big plans in the works for Picton’s Delhi Park

Delhi Park, with its bright and sprawling green space tucked just down the hill from Picton, was the subject of much discussion at last Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

The municipally operated park saw an ambitious project presented to council that focussed on walk ability and accessibility, with 5.8 kilometres of proposed walking paths through the area, allowing people with mobility challenges to navigate the park. Current paths aren’t accessible due to steep slopes in the area. The new paths are planned to be gravel surfaces, with lighting and park-style benches along the pathways.

The plan—officially named the Delhi Park Community Connections Active Transportation Plan—is one that represents a longterm vision of how the park can evolve and be used to improve connectivity within the town of Picton. Delhi Park’s central location makes it an ideal connector for active transportation routes that allow pedestrians and cyclists to access Picton Main Street, Picton Harbour, Millennium Trail, Macaulay Village and more for residents to get to school, work and to go about their daily lives.

Kiydan Zachariah, Project Coordinator Greater Than County Youth Collective provided comments through a deputation, noting they had hosted a Hackathon—a group of clever people, making an effective solution to a problem, quickly—where 22 youth participants stemming from a variety of ages and community backgrounds including but not limited to Community Living, Prince Edward Collegiate Institute, Prince Edward Learning Centre participated.

Participants and staff met at Delhi Park and were asked to consider how the entrance currently looks, feels, and is accessible. Once back at the Picton Town hall, youth were asked to identify community spaces and parks that were memorable to them from either inside or outside of the County. Following this, participants were led in a focused discussion regarding Delhi Park, specifically their thoughts about what they liked or disliked.

“It is important to note that youth want to be involved. Having consultation sessions focused on educating and hearing from youth allows for a more comfortable environment for young people to be seen, heard and valued,” added Zachariah. “This project has the potential to improve the quality of life for many youth and Macaulay Residents, as well as Picton residents and visitors at large.”

Victoria Taylor of VTLA Studio said to date, seven months of site discovery, investigative research to learn about the parks history, existing paths and entrances, and over 70 hours of consultations have taken place.

“Right now, unless you have a car, or are physically able, Delhi Park is pretty much a barrier to getting around town. By thinking differently about this landscape and designing for accessibility and public safety, we begin to see how this space can be smartly leveraged to help transform Picton into an active, healthy, connected place to live and work.”

The County received $50,000 in funding through Infrastructure Canada’s Active Transportation Fund to develop the design plan. According to County staff, while the project represents a significant investment for implementation and maintenance, its phased approach, proposed to take place over 10 years, allows for manageable progression as external funding becomes available.

Councillor John Hirsch said the plan was a really good full design project.

“The fore thinking of going up to the Heights, taking into account upcoming Base31 development and the movement of those people down, is fantastic. I am hoping this can happen sooner, rather than later, but of course that is al dependent on funding.”

With an endorsed plan in place staff will be well-positioned to begin applying for implementation funds that, in the long term, will result in an interconnected and vibrant community centered around Delhi Park’s rejuvenation and network of pathways and entrances.

Saying she supports the plan in theory, Councillor Janice Maynard wondered how this project fits in amongst many other important priorities. She also worried about maintenance costs in the future.

“How we do fit a new project in amongst a very long list of projects that are already on a list or should be on a list?’ she asked. “We have a long list of accessibility shortfalls across the County, and I have discomfort with a long-term project we don’t know is going to become possible.”

Council endorsed the plan. An additional motion from councillor Phil St-Jean passed to make the plans for Delhi Park a project of community interest, which allows receiving donations and the issuance of receipts for tax purposes.