Owen Sound has begun the process to plan for a face lift for Kelso Beach Park.
The city has hired a Chatsworth Based landscape architectural firm to help the city develop a master plan for the aging park.
City Councillor and chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee Jim McManaman says the park is a little tired and council now wants to put together a comprehensive 10 year plan on what has to done to make the park more attractive.
He says they will be looking for public input late this summer or in the fall from the public to find out from them just what is working in the park and what has to be added or improved.
McManaman says the most pressing question that has to be answered is whether there should be a beach at the park.
Currently the invasive common reed has taken over what used to the beach and has turned into a wetland that now falls under the jurisdiction of the local Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
McManaman says to get rid of the common reed could turnout to be a bureaucratic nightmare and probably would require all sorts of local and provincial approvals.
He says once the public has its say about what they want at Kelso Beach Park, the Master plan will be drafted and again the public will have a chance to comment on it.
McManaman is hopefully the master plan can be presented to Council during its service analysis session in October.