The Town of Collingwood is undertaking an update to its Park and Facilities By-law and is looking to the community to provide feedback.
The existing Park By-law (85-20) was last updated in 1985 and is in need of being updated to reflect current park use.
The By-law
The purpose of the Park and Facilities By-law is to protect, maintain and enhance parks, open spaces and other publicly owned land and related facilities for the safety and shared enjoyment of all members of the public and to protect and enhance the natural environment. This includes areas within parks, water areas, trails and park buildings.
The draft Park and Facilities By-law can be viewed on the Engage Collingwood at https://engage.collingwood.ca/park-use-by-law-update.
Proposed Updates
While public input is encouraged on any or all portions of the draft policy, the following proposed rules have been specifically highlighted for public review:
- Barbeque Use. Staff recommend that BBQs are permitted in designated areas only. This will provide park users the experience of cooking while providing distance from other park users as well as protecting the natural environment with proper disposal containers.
- Tents and Shade structures. Staff recommend permitting only those structures that are supported by one pole and have no more than one wall. This will help prevent people from taking up large amounts of space but will still allow people to be protected from the elements.
- Hours of Operation. Staff recommend that no person shall remain or enter a park from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
There will also be updates to how Parks are operated this summer, including additional parks staff who will wear high visibility shirts, and more restrooms open to the public. Under a separate report, Council is considering a move of the resident parking and the continuation of paid parking at Sunset Point for non-residents.
The public is encouraged to visit https://engage.collingwood.ca/ to provide their feedback by April 27.
Residents, we want to hear from you! Public input sought on new draft Park and Facilities By-law to ensure continued safety and enjoyment. Comments accepted until April 27 via our Engage Collingwood portal. More here: https://t.co/0pePwNeyE2 #parks #publicengagement pic.twitter.com/I8dE8kp4My
— Town of Collingwood (@TownCollingwood) April 13, 2021