Lake Ontario Park Master Plan
OPINION
COMMENT ONLINE
Comment period has ended.
NEW
View the Master Plan's revised design (Sept. 2009).
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PDF
355KB]
View the last version of the Master Plan design (July 2009).
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PDF
713KB]
DOWNLOADS
See the Report to Council on the Lake Ontario Park Master Plan (for discussion at its July 14 meeting).
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PDF
6.5MB]
See the results of a January, 2009 Your Opinion opportunity about how best to shape Lake Ontario Park.
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PDF
12KB]
Design concept for Lake Ontario Park — an Enviro Park scenario.
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PDF
413KB]
Design concept for Lake Ontario Park — an Art Park scenario.
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PDF
434KB]
MAP
See a map of the Lake Ontario Park grounds.
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Find the final report of the Lake Ontario Park Revitalization Study.
At a special Sept. 16 public meeting of the Arts, Recreation and Community Policies Committee regarding the future of Lake Ontario Park, a revised master plan [PDF 355KB] was presented in response to concerns expressed by members of the public about certain elements in the original design [PDF 713KB].
Comments on this revised plan were accepted through Oct. 2.
In the revised plan:- The pond has been removed.
- Trees have been preserved and added.
- The Elevator Bay area is preserved and enhanced with trees and pathways.
- The natural wetlands are maintained.
- Structures of heritage significance are preserved.
- Accessible pathways are provided throughout the park.
- A turn loop is included to better control traffic exiting on to King Street.
- The interpretive program is to be developed working with Native Communities to incorporate elements of historical significance.
- The construction costs are reduced by an estimated $300,000 to $400,000.
- Operating costs are reduced by an estimated $20,000 a year.
- RV and tent camping is allowed on the site during events.
Lanie Hurdle, Director, Recreation & Leisure Services, briefed the Arts, Recreation and Community Policies Committee regarding the Lake Ontario Park Master Plan public meeting and next steps at its Sept. 24 meeting.
CONSULTATION BACKGROUND
The Lake Ontario Park master plan report was discussed at a July 14 Council meeting (see link at right). In addition to the Report to Council staff offered the following background information:
- A Your Opinion survey was conducted in January 2009 and results (see Participants' Response link at right) from that survey are being distributed in the Council packages.
- Following the public presentation of both concept plans (Enviro Park and Art Park), the public was invited to participate in a second Your Opinion comment opportunity (April 2 to 13) , which consisted of an open comment box (this was not a survey). One hundred and fourteen pages of comments were received from 269 respondents and these were forwarded to the consultant who went through the content and identified that 150 respondents (which is about 75 per cent) indicated a preference for the Enviro Park concept.
After an extensive consultative process on how best to revitalize the park, the Lake Ontario Park Master Plan (available at right) has been finalized and was presented at a public meeting on June 23.
The Master Plan for Lake Ontario Park is based on the feedback from the community, staff and those members of Council that have an active interest in the site. The community was asked to comment on two park alternatives, the EnviroPark and the ArtPark. The consolidated master plan is based on the EnviroPark but includes more open and natural spaces as shown on the Art Park alternative.
Revisions to the EnviroPark Concept:
- Tightening up of the programmable or active recreational areas (pavilion/children's play area/retention pond/ skating area and event space) allowing more of the park to remain open and green and provide more of a picnic center south of the play area.
- More natural spaces — along shorelines and up into the upper terrace areas.
- Reduction in the scope and scale of the amphitheatre component — more naturalized and tied to shoreline.
- A multiuse pavilion center in place of the Environmental Technology Centre.
- Enlargement of enhanced beach front — 2 larger bays.
- Reduction in scale of the boardwalk connector from Richardson Wharf Park to Lake Ontario Park.
- A more fluid and functional pathway system: paths to event and play areas, waterfront trail linkages cross site on upper terrace, lower terrace walkway.
- Sculpture element in center of pond — in place of sculpture in middle of King Street as set out in the Art Park.
- The potential for overflow parking for special events at front of site along ring road in turf stone or other permeable grass friendly matrix material.
- A increase in the size of the backshore amenity area near the beach for additional on shore sunbathing/picnicking.
- Provision for some parking or turnaround areas near the kayak building.
- Removal of the traffic circle as shown on the Art Park but the provision of better cross street connections.
- Adding a picnic shelter/gazebo building near the children's play area and main picnic area.
- Several service RV sites for events along the west edge of the ring road.
- Outlook /fishing platform on Richardson Wharf Park.
The objective of the master plan is to create a realistic and feasible plan that is creative in defining our City, restores the waterfront, and meets the values of the general public. There are three phases to this revitalization process — envisioning the future of the Park, drafting the master plan and developing a strategy for its implementation, and the actual implementation of the plan to develop the Park.
The first phase — the Lake Ontario Park Revitalization Study — was completed in 2007. It included the establishment of the overall vision for the park and the planning principles that future plans are to be based on.
