Stouffville park redesign could see lawn bowling facility moved for parking

Residents flock to public meetings to share ideas

Yorkregion.com
April 11, 2019
Simon Martin

The future of Memorial Park is a hot topic in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Crowds flocked to public meetings April 4 and April 9 to share their thoughts on what the park should look like in the future. 

What they saw in the preliminary concept plan presented by the town included some big changes including a roundabout at Park Drive and Burkholder Street, the relocation of the Stouffville Lawn Bowling Club and the potential creation of a skating trail.

The potential move of the lawn bowling club didn’t sit well with many who attended the meeting. Long time Stouffville resident Peter Mitchell said the plan to move the lawn bowling club next to the Leisure Centre and replace it with a parking lot was short-sighted. “Adding more parking will do nothing but waste huge amounts of money and not solve the problem,” Mitchell said pointing to the Park Drive lot that is largely empty the majority of the day.

Lawn bowling club president George Iwasiw said the club understands that they could be moving and have little control of the matter as the town owns the land. He said the club is celebrating its 125th year later this year.

Mayor Iain Lovatt said it’s important for the town to engage with the public on a matter like this. He remembered being upset like many others when the toboggan hill was taken out of the park with no consultation. “We want to make sure we engage the public in the process,” he said.

Lovatt understands that not everybody is going to be excited about what happens, but said it’s important for residents to take an active interest in what goes on in the park. “We want to make sure we engage the public,” Lovatt said. “There are going to be changes.”

As for the potential move of the lawn-bowling facility, Lovatt said there are benefits to be considered in having the facility close to the Leisure Centre along with new pickle-ball courts.

Moving the lawn bowling area could also come with significant financial commitments. In the town report, lawn bowling re-location cost is estimated at $820,000. “Ward 6 Coun. Sue Sherban certainly does not want to see the lawn bowling facility moved. We have taken enough out of Memorial Park,” she said. “Everybody likes the historical feel of the park.”

Sherban said the public participation in the process has been nice to see with young people and seniors alike taking a keen interest in the park. “When people take the time to come out it gives us a better idea of the direction we would like to go,” she said.

Other key elements including a skating trail which Lovatt said would be an exciting development for the park. In the plan the trail would be located in the current flood plain land adjacent to Franklin Street in Stouffville. Lovatt said the town is going to have to consider traffic concerns in the new park vision.

Last year, council approved the Leisure & Community Services Master Plan. The document guides future decision making on parks, and cultural services.

Among the 154 recommendations was the redesign of Memorial Park in Stouffville. The town created design concepts of what a new Memorial Park would look like and council has supplied the necessary funding to proceed with the project.

The “Design your Memorial Park” Campaign will take place from April 1 to 22. Residents are encouraged to fill out a survey to identify priorities for the new park design. For more information people can visit townofws.ca.