The Town of St. Marys is hosting a public consultation survey regarding the long-term master plan for the Milt Dunnell Field.
André Morin, Director of Corporate Services, says following the survey period that ends June 16, the town will then gather the data and start the planning process.
“So we will take all that information and try to devise kind of what we’re seeing and hearing from the public, and then from there, start to generate kind of what that long-term or master plan looks like. It could very well be a combination of A and B, or an entirely different concept altogether based on what we know and everything we’re going to be hearing through the consultation,” Morin explained.
Two conceptual designs have been proposed for the space based on feedback from local user groups. The designs are now being turned over to the public for further input through a survey, available at http://www.discoverstmarys.ca/miltdunnellsurvey and town facilities.
“The design concepts are a way to start the discussion,” said Morin. “We want to understand the types of amenities people would like to see in the park. Again, the final design may look very different or very similar to the concepts.”
Morin notes that there is some more immediate work on their mind for the site.
“We do have some funds we want to spend now. So within the context of the long-term plan, what are some things we can do quickly? And in doing so get some bang for our buck with the funds that we do have available and make some small changes on that front. And then the long-term plan, we’ll start farming that out over the next few years, for future grants, future financing so that we can start to implement the master plan in its stages,” said Morin. ”
One key issue that the town wants to address at the site is the overall accessibility of the area.
“There’s services that happen there, whether they’re town services or otherwise, things like the farmer’s market, events, those type of things that typically are not necessarily town run but that are supported by the town, we want everyone to enjoy that. The site does have some accessibility issues in regards to accessibility for everyone, and we want everyone to be able to access those amenities that we have,” Morin stated.
St. Marys did receive a $250,000 federal grant, which Morin says will help cover part of formulating the master plan.
“And also, to kind of start phase 1 of the implementation of whatever that master plan results in. What we had mentioned at the time was we knew that accessible washrooms would be certainly one of the concerns that would come up and need to be dealt with. As well as the accessibility in terms of the parking, the roadways and the trails and walking paths within the area,” Morin concluded.
For more information about the Milt Dunnell Field Revitalization Project, visit http://www.discoverstmarys.ca/miltdunnell.
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