Your 2022 Budget at Work: Upgrades, Renewal & Design Work Coming to 29 Burlington Parks

City Council passed our 2022 budget in December - and there’s lots of great news which I’ll share in topical posts in the coming weeks and months.Our first post is about our parks.The 2022 budget provides for park improvements for 29 parks, with renewal and upgrades for 12 parks in 2022, and design work on another 17 parks this year, for planned upgrades in 2023.Several of you have asked for the detailed list of park renewal, upgrades and design, which can be found in the city’s 2022 Budget Book in the “Healthy and Greener City” tab starting on “Park Development/Park Renewal” (pages 328-377) with additional detail in amendments that were brought on the floor of council. The complete list is also below, with page numbers in brackets.The city also upgrades school playgrounds through a partnership with local school boards, which is detailed below.Also in 2022, the city will be launching a Parks, Recreation and Cultural Facilities Master Plan, and will be engaging the community in a park name and design for General Brock Park (Item #4 under Design). More on both initiatives below.As staff note on page 277 of the budget book: “Sports organizations and residents have identified park enhancements outside of the current standard service levels, such as increased need for water play, shade structures, park washrooms and leash free areas.”Our budget decisions respond to that feedback.Total Investment 2022, 2023Total investment in the Park Development and Park Renewal services in 2022 is $6.4 million, with $7.4 million earmarked in 2023. The city also has a Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund (p376) with an annual contribution of $200,000 over 10 years, so we are better prepared to acquire new land for parks as our city grows.All plans for 2023 are forecasts which are subject to final approval as part of the 2023 budget discussions by council.Renewal & Upgrades in 2022:

1. NEW: Tansley Woods Park - Water Play Feature (p329): Construction on a new water play feature/splash pad.
2. NEW: Central Park - Accessible Swing (p336): In 2022, inclusion of a new fully accessible swing as part of the playground facility.
3. Ireland Park Community Gardens (p338): 2022 includes the community garden renewal and improvements to irrigation mainline; 2023 includes replacement of irrigation/drainage system, lighting for tennis and additional design work for future improvements.
4. Kinsmen Park - Ball Diamond/Soccer (p339): 2022 work includes the replacement of baseball diamond and soccer posts.
5. Leighland Park - Ball Diamond/Soccer/Tennis (p340): 2022 works includes the replacement of ball diamond (D2), pathways, tennis court, basketball court, new water service and drainage improvements.
6. Longmoor Park - Playground (p341): 2022 work includes the replacement of playgrounds, swings, pathway and site furnishings.
7. Port Nelson Parkette (p345): 2022 work includes replacement of playground, recreational trails and site furniture. Park construction will be scheduled following completion of the shoreline improvement work.
8. Queensway Park (p345): 2022 work includes the renewal of playground, swing, site furnishings, multi-use court and recreational trail.
9. Taywood Park (p348):  2022 work is for the renewal of playground, swings, site furnishings and pathway renewal.
10. Tuck Park (p349): replacement of playground area
11. NEW: Mohawk Park Path: Approve funding of $60,000 from the infrastructure renewal fund to pave the gravel path at Mohawk Park. Motion from Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. See Council minutes from Dec. 14, 2021
12. NEW: Leash Free Park in Ward 2: Redirect $100,000 from capital project PO-PR-1695 (Queensway Park - Item #9 above) to construct a leash-free park in Ward 2 in 2022; and Direct the Director of Recreation, Community and Culture to investigate options for a leash-free park location in Ward 2 with options to include, but not limited to, Central Park (0.15ha), Lion's Park (0.3ha) and Hydro One Corridor (0.7ha). (SD-38-21) Motion from Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. See Council minutes from Dec. 14, 2021

Design work in 2022 for upgrades in 2023:

1. Beachway Master Plan (p328): The Region of Halton is the lead for the Burlington Beach Regional Waterfront Park Master Plan, however the city has allocated funding in 2022 for city staff project management costs related to detailed studies, design and approvals, for phased construction of work scheduled between 2023 -2031.
2. City View Park - Sportsfield Development (p329): 2022/2023 includes funding for design and approval work for the baseball diamonds phase scheduled for construction in 2024.
3. Windows to the Lake (p330): Provides funding for design and construction work related to both shoreline and parks improvement for future Windows to the Lake properties at Green St, Walkers Line and Appleby Place.
   1. Green Street: 2022, Shoreline Construction; 2023, Park Construction
   2. Walkers Line: 2022, Design & Approvals; 2023, Park Construction
   3. Appleby Place: 2022, Design & Approvals; 2023, Park & Shoreline Construction
4. General Brock Surplus School Land Park Construction (p331): Public engagement to establish a park name and develop a park plan through prior approved funding, and detailed design in 2022, for construction and/or renewal of park amenities in 2023.
5. Leash Free Parks (p331): Public consultation has occurred (Report PR-12-19), for construction in 2023.
6. Bridgeview Park (p335): Design work in 2022, and in 2023 removal of backstop, plus recreational trail, lighting, site furniture and replacement of playground.
7. Cavendish Park (p336): design work in 2022, reconstruction of the ball diamond in 2023.
8. Emerson Park (p337): design work in 2022; in 2023 renewal of the playground, swing, site furnishings, and recreational trail.
9. Fairchild Parkette (p337): design work in 2022; in 2023 renewal of the playground, swing, site furnishings, and recreational trail.
10. Lampman Park (p339): design work in 2022; 2023 work includes renewal of playground, swing, site furnishings, soccer goal posts, recreational trail, repairs multi-use court.
11. Lansdown Park (p340): Funding set aside for engineering services in 2022, for 2023 work which includes decommission ball diamond, new shade structure by the playground, upgraded soccer to a full size soccer field, irrigation system, parking, pathways and new splash pad.
12. Maple Park (p341): 2022 design work for 2023 work which includes replacement of sport lighting system for soccer facility (F1) and irrigation improvements.
13. Millcroft Park (P342) 2022 design work for 2023 work which includes replacement of smaller playground in the south area of the park.
14. Spencer Smith Park (p346-7): design work in 2022, in 2023 to replace the artificial turf surface and drainage layer and concrete repairs in/around splash pad area and significant renewal of various zones of park irrigation system. Also in 2022, condition inspections on the Brant Street Pier & Waterfront Promenade.
15. Tansley Woods Park (P348): Design work in 2022, 2023 & 2024 for renewal of lit pathway behind community centre.
16. Tyandaga Gold Club - Repair & Renewal (p349): 2022 and 2023 includes the preparation of a coordinated renewal schedule, detailed design and first phase of the construction. Funding is intended to stabilize, replace or make improvements to existing outdoor assets, and maintain a safe environment for patrons using Tyandaga Golf Course facilities. Green initiatives are considered when components are renewed/replaced.
17. Tecumseh Park (p355): Design work in 2022 for work in 2023 including replacement of the ball diamond and pathways.

Our Organized Sport Support service provides permits for 11 ice pads, 10 city gyms, 79 school board gyms, 144 city sport fields and 21 school board sports fields.Our Parks and Open Space - Design & Development service provides park strategy, park planning and development, park design and construction, budgeting and park asset management.School Playground Improvement Strategy:The city also partners with two Halton school boards (Halton District School Board and Halon Catholic District School Board) to ensure that the community can access school gyms and playfields on evenings and weekends, through a reciprocal agreement.Included in this partnership are phased replacement/renewal of playground assets on school board property (PR-21-08 Playground Improvement Strategy). Over the next 10 years, approximately 13 playgrounds are scheduled for replacement.Replacements between 2022 to 2024 include Florence Meares School, Pineland School, Rolling Meadows School, Lakeshore Public School, Pauline Johnson Public School and Tom Thompson Public School. (P346)New Parks, Recreation and Cultural Facilities Master Plan:In 2022, the city will also be undertaking the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Facilities Master Plan.The upcoming 2022 City of Burlington Parks, Recreation and Cultural Facilities Master Plan (“Parks Plan”) represents a comprehensive, thirty-year Plan covering the period 2022 to 2051 which is in keeping with other planning documents and Halton Region’s Integrated Growth Management Strategy (IGMS). The Halton growth strategy requires the city to accommodate another 70,000 people between 2021 and 2051 and that new population will need more parks, recreation and cultural facilities.The Parks Plan will provide strategic directions and specific initiative recommendations to staff and Council for future development and enhancement of parkland and indoor/outdoor recreational, community and cultural facilities over the short, medium and long term.The development of the Parks Plan will be in direct alignment with the city’s asset management planning and policies within the Burlington and Regional Official Plan(s) as well as other related corporate initiatives such, as but not limited, to Climate Resilient Burlington, the Urban Forest Management Plan, the Community Trails Strategy and planning for growth at the Major Transit Station Areas around the Aldershot, Burlington and Appleby GO stations.The Parks Plan will require regular reviews to ensure continued alignment with key community participation trends, municipal policy initiatives, the resources available and the strategic directions as established within the City’s on-going Vision to Focus strategic planning program.