Bill Moore Park and Dogwood Park are located next to each other. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7 FM)

Courtenay residents are being asked to help shape the future of two parks, as the city seeks public feedback on three preliminary designs for Bill Moore and Dogwood Park, located on Kilpatrick Avenue in West Courtenay.

An online survey launched this week asks residents to review three concepts and identify which idea they like, as well as areas where the proposals could be improved.

According to the city, community feedback will help determine which elements of the preliminary concepts resonate most strongly with Courtenay residents.

A notice of public consultation at Bill Moore Park. (Jeannie Lin / CHLY 101.7 FM)

Joy Chan is the Manager of Business Administration in the Department of Recreation, Culture and Community Services. She said the three concepts were created through the first round of public engagement earlier this year.

“So the first round of engagement happened earlier this spring with a survey. We also had a pop-up in the park open house event, and also we spoke to focus groups such as sports users and also we talked to some of the students, kids in schools and asked them what were their thoughts about what we should consider when designing and planning for the park,” said Chan.

The project is now in the second phase of public engagement, led by the online survey. Chan said the three concepts differ in their scope and changes.

The first concept is called The Delicate Intervention.

“It really maintains the original footprint of the park. It provides renewal of the sports fields, and then it proposes replacement of the playground equipment, a splash pad and potential skate park. And then improving the park with accessible pathways, preserves the existing washroom and parking, and then it keeps the passive space that is currently in place. And really doesn't change anything with the current Dogwood Park which is a forested park with informal trails,” said Chan.

Concept two is called The Link.

“It kind of builds upon the information or the proposed changes in concept one. It proposes some reconfiguration of the existing sports fields. It provides better linkages through trails and connections between, both Dogwood and Bill Moore Park. Proposes an off-leash dog area and a covered sport box, and then a central plaza, connecting all the proposed amenities to like a central hub,” said Chan.

Concept three is called The Nexus.

“And then concept three, again, building upon concept two and one. We're looking at more supporting services in terms of sport field seating. Again, an off-leash dog park, a pump track, and then a reconfiguration of the sports field, mainly so that both football and baseball can play, could play potentially at the same time, whereas currently they have to take turns using the sports field,” said Chan.

According to Chan, the two parks serve different purposes, with Bill Moore offering a range of programmed amenities while Dogwood is characterized by its natural space.

“So currently in Bill Moore Park, there's a sports field for football. There's baseball diamonds. And then a clubhouse and lots of parking, whereas Dogwood Park is more of what we call like a nature, a neighborhood nature park. It's mainly trees with informal trails,” said Chan.

Residents can review the concepts online before completing the survey. The City of Courtenay is encouraging participants to consider the proposals in detail and also provide comments on how they could be improved.

Chan said that parks and recreation is vital for the community, by providing the social determinants of health in terms of physical activity and general wellness. The online survey is available until September 15th, information can be found on Engage Comox Valley.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

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