Students from Vancouver Island University (VIU) and the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute will present the Draft Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan to Parksville council at a regular council meeting on Monday, March 18.
This plan is a City of Parksville initiative, working with VIU and MABRRI. The Parksville, Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan project follows the successful completion and adoption of the Community Park Master Plan (2018).
The city started work on this project with Vancouver Island University, Master of Community Planning Program and Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI) in early 2018. The VIU and MABRRI team was contracted by the city to undertake a consultation strategy and development of a comprehensive Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan – an update to the Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan (2005).
Plan activities included a parks and trails inventory, policy analysis, multi-stage community engagement process, input from stakeholders, and mapping and research into best practices. The project focussed on methodology, guiding principles, priority recommendations and the short to long-term concept visions for Parksville’s parks, trails and open spaces over the next twenty years. The consulting team held a variety of public engagement and consultation activities such as the parks on the street event, Foster Park spring mini event, user group interviews, individual park comment boxes, an online survey and a series of open houses which all helped to inform the plan.
A public open house to learn more about the draft master plan and provide comments and suggestions is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23 at the Parksville Community Centre. The drop-in open house will be held at the Parksville Community Centre from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Multiple display boards will showcase the main components and recommendations of the draft plan. Copies of the draft plan will also be available for the public to browse through during the open house. Public comments will then be presented to council for their consideration when approving the final Parks, Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan.
— NEWS Staff, submitted