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Home My WebLink AboutENG 12-14 ca 00 := Report to Executive Committee PI KERING Report Number: ENG 12-14 Date: May 12, 2014 From: Richard Holborn Director, Engineering & Public Works • Subject: Proposed Skateboard Facility at Petticoat Creek Community Centre - File: A 1440 Recommendation: • 1. That Report ENG 12-14 of the Director, Engineering & Public Works regarding the proposed Skateboard Facility at Petticoat Creek Community Centre be received; 2. That Council approve East Woodlands Park, located adjacent to the Petticoat Creek Community Centre as the location for the new skateboard facility; and 3. The staff be directed to proceed with the design and tender of a skateboard facility at this location. • Executive Summary: Over the past few years, staff have recognized the need for another skateboard facility within the City of Pickering. As the only skateboard facility within the City is located in the east end of South Pickering, in Diana, Princess of Wales Park, staff have been pursuing a location for a new facility towards the west end of South Pickering. After review of the parks and City facilities within the preferred area, staff determined that East Woodlands Park, which is located adjacent to the Petticoat Creek Community Centre would be the most suitable location. A Design Workshop and Public Open House was held on April 8, 2014 at Petticoat Creek Community Centre to present the location and obtain feedback from the local residents and users. Approximately 28 residents were in attendance. Staff recommend that we proceed with the design and tender of a skateboard facility in East Woodlands Park. Financial Implications: As part of the 2014 Parks Capital Budget, Council approved $200,000 for the design and construction of a skateboard facility, to be constructed in East Woodlands Park, located adjacent to the Petticoat Creek Community Centre. 73 Report ENG 12-14 May 12, 2014 Subject: Proposed Skateboard Facility at Petticoat Creek Community Centre Page 2 Discussion: Over the past few years, staff have recognized the need for another skateboard facility within the City of Pickering. As the only skateboard facility within the City is located in the east end of South Pickering, in Diana, Princess of Wales Park, staff have been pursuing a location for a new facility towards the west end of South Pickering. After review of the parks and City facilities within the preferred area, it was determined that East Woodlands Park, which is located adjacent to the Petticoat Creek Community Centre would be the most suitable location (see Location Plan —Attachment 1). The site has a direct connection to the youth room in the Community Centre, is located on a major transit route, is open, safe and visible. Skate park activities can also be monitored by City of Pickering Facility Security Guard during facility operating hours. Culture & Recreation staff have advised that the proposed location is ideal for supporting the youth programs that operate at this location, providing both indoor and outdoor play spaces. A second and more current skateboard facility also provides additional opportunity for local youth to attend the City's skateboard camps. In terms of the scale of the proposed skateboard facility,.this location would be suitable for what would be considered a skate spot or micro neighbourhood skate park which in relative terms is approximately half the size of the existing skateboard facility in Diana, Princess of Wales Park. This is reflective of the $200,000 budget that has been approved for this facility. This park would draw youth from the surrounding neighbourhoods but as it would be smaller in size, it would not become a destination skate park and draw youth regionally. A Design Workshop and Public Open House was held on April 8, 2014 at Petticoat Creek Community Centre to present the location and obtain feedback from the local residents and users. The meeting was well attended with 28 local residents and future park users signing in to the meeting. The local homeowners that attended were opposed to having a skateboard facility at the proposed location. Their concerns included parking issues, graffiti, noise, garbage, and criminal activities. They also voiced other neighbourhood issues not related to the proposed skateboard facility. Eight comment sheets were submitted and are summarized in Attachment 2. The youth that attended were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their current skateboard activities and experiences and what features they would like to see in the new skateboard facility. Twenty questionnaires were returned and have been summarized in Attachment 2. They were also provided the opportunity to prepare design sketches of how they would like to see the park laid out. The youth were very excited about the prospect of having a new skate spot in this neighbourhood. Upon approval to proceed, staff will prepare a Request for Proposal to be issued to skate park designers/contractors, to obtain design/build proposals. Upon retention of such a company, further design meetings will be held with the user groups, to obtain CORP0227-07/01 revised 74 Report ENG 12-14 May 12, 2014 Subject: Proposed Skateboard Facility at Petticoat Creek Community Centre Page 3 their input into the final skate park design. It is anticipated that the design would be completed during the summer months with construction commencing in the fall of 2014. Attachments: 1. Location Plan 2. Design Workshop and Public Open House Meeting Summary, April 8, 2014 Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By: Arnold Mostert, OALA Richar Holbor, , P. Eng. Senior Coordinator Dire or, Engineering & Public Works Landscape & Parks Development ,t Darre Selsky, CET, C M III Marisa Carpino Manager, Capital Projects & I astructure Director, Culture& Recreation AM:am Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City ouncil 11 ',/// Ard zg, 20t4- Tony Prevedel, P.Eng. Chief Administrative Officer CORP0227-07/01 revised 75 TIC REPORT# -Iiill i) C2 r.li+al ..il'iW t 456 N.. \ / rNEN lt:....r1 r- 011:1:1 • a Z . cr) 0.._ ,.. * , . ----) , \ cD 2. r co 0 cr (D 8 3 ill a 3 ,z c „.. c„) 0 — - q eL 0 (D .--,- . .1 = co . . 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TO REPORT# L 1z-ELI Meeting Summary for the New Pickering Skateboard Facility PICKERING Proposed at Petticoat Creek Community Centre Design Workshop and Open House — April 8, 2014 City Council & Staff in Attendance Jennifer O'Connell, Regional Councillor, Ward 1 Kevin Ashe, Local Councillor, Ward 1 Arnold Mostert, Senior Coordinator, Landscape & Parks Development Sharon Milton, Supervisor, Culture & Recreation Heather Butler, Recreation Programmer • Devin Poole, (Acting) Clerk Typist, Culture & Recreation Judah Cunningham and Mike Pasilabban, Youth Staff Christy Harper, Acting Manager of Branch Services, Pickering Library . Summary of Meeting The Design Workshop and Open House was held on April 8, 2014 at the Petticoat Creek Community - Centre from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The meeting was well attended with 28 local residents and future park users signing in to the meeting (though there were several who attended who did not sign in). A Concept Site Plan showing the proposed Skate Park location was on display as well as a Powerpoint slide show with photos of various skate parks in the Durham Region and concept drawings of others that may be of similar scale to the proposed facility. Notice of the meeting was hand delivered to approximately 200 homes in the area, made available to residents and youth for pick up at City Recreation and Community Centres, Libraries, and High Schools, and posted on the City website, City and Youth Facebook accounts. Meeting information was also provided to Switch.Skate & Snow, who provide staff for the City's skateboard summer camps. Eight comment sheets from residents and 20 skate boarder questionnaires were submitted by the participants. The skate boarders were also provided with the opportunity to prepare sketches of what they would like to see built. Make note that a number of the participants were also bikers who use skate parks for their recreational activities. Summary of Resident Comments Following is a summary of the written comments received from the participants. Note that a number of the comments are not directly related to the proposed skate board facility, but are other issues within the neighbourhood or on the subject site that may have a compounding factor on their outlook of the project. • Potential for collisions between skate boarders and seniors and library users, making it difficult to enter the building • Current shortage of parking at the Library/ Community Centre - should use the money to expand the parking instead • Taking up green space in the park for kids to play- put skate facility in another park that has. more space 77 k . TO WORT# L�VG, 12-14 • Concern of graffiti that is often associated with skateboard parks • Concern of noise caused by the skateboarders —what will the park hours be? • Concern of garbage from people not using the park's garbage can • Will there be increased police presence on the site to keep the drug dealers away as there have been previous criminal activities on this site? Put the skate park near a police station and put in a children's wading pool instead. • The $200,000 budget can be better spent on something other than a skate park • The park is a well used space in its current configuration and a skating facility will not add anything positive to the park—the park is fine the way it is. • The skate park would probably devalue my property • There is no demand for a skate park—this targets a small percentage of the population —find something that benefits more people • The neighbourhood is acquiring enough commercial services with a new gas station, Tim Horton's, office building, Kingston Road widening • The City allowed the trees to be cut down and 3 mansions to be built on 1451 Old Forest Road • Use the funds to plant more trees & additional parking for the library—we need more green space, not less Summary of Skate Boarder Questionnaires and Comments Most of the skate boarder participants that attended were Pickering residents with a number of them living within walking distance of the Community Centre. They were asked what type of surface that they like to ride on and all indicated a concrete finish. They were also asked to indicate what skate park features they liked to use. Following were the preferred features: Quarter Pipe, Half Pipe, Stairs, Benches, Roll-in / ramps, Flat Rails, Funboxes and Pyramids. Following is a summary of the written comments received from the participants: • The park should be designed for both skate boarders and bikes • The park must be concrete, not modular. Consider quality features, not quantity. Look into phasing the project—fundraising can be done for a future expansion to the park.. • The park needs a good flow so that the users will not crash into each other • Provide lights for night time use and a drinking fountain. • A mini-pipe would be better than a full half pipe. • A flow/wavy section would be awesome. • There is nowhere to skate in this area. A skate park would be a perfect fit for this area. There are many skaters who have NOTHING to skate on. • I'm SO happy we are getting a skate park. Much thanks to everyone's hard work in making this part of our community. 78