Bonnerworth Park project draft plan: Advisory Committee review

full bike rack

Aerial view of central Peterborough

This news release was updated on Wednesday, August 14 to reflect a new final date for comments of August 21, 2024.

A draft plan for the Bonnerworth Park project, which will include an expanded skateboard park, a new bike pump track, pickleball courts, planting trees, and landscaping, will be reviewed during a combined meeting of the Arenas, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Advisory Committee on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be livestreamed on the City’s website at peterborough.ca/livestreams. There are no public delegations at advisory committee meetings.

The draft plan shows features such as:

  • About 275 trees will be planted in the park
  • About 63% of the site will be green space – landscaped/grass
  • Setbacks from neighbouring properties
  • Noise attenuation measures, including noise attenuation fencing and landscaping such as berms
  • The location of 14 pickleball courts, down from 16 when the concept was initially introduced
  • The location of the new bike pump track that will be designed with grass areas between the bike paths
  • The expansion of the existing skateboard park
  • Parking areas totalling 44 spaces, which is a reduction from a previous concept
  • Pathways within the park

The agenda package for the meeting is available at peterborough.ca/agendas.

The two advisory committees will have an opportunity to provide feedback about the draft plan for consideration before the City finalizes the document ahead of construction, which is expected to begin this fall.

Public comments on the draft plan, which can be viewed through the City’s community engagement hub at connectptbo.ca/Bonnerworth-Park, can be submitted using the comments tool on the project page at connectptbo.ca/Bonnerworth-Park, by sending an email to bonnerworthproject@peterborough.ca or by calling 705-742-0050 ext. 2226#. Public comments can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 for consideration ahead of finalizing the project plan.

The project team is considering feedback from community consultation, including feedback from the Arenas, Parks, and Recreation Advisory Committee, the Accessibility Advisory Committee, and broader public feedback from the consultation process, before finalizing the draft plan for the project.

The draft plan is also informed by various studies and factors such as noise studies, traffic flow, groundwater conditions, and stormwater management.

Community consultation for the Bonnerworth Park project, along with the Knights of Columbus Park project, was undertaken from February through April 2024 with two surveys, two public meetings, and meetings with recreation facility user groups related to the two projects.

City Council gave initial approval to the Bonnerworth Park project when it approved the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Facilities Study in October 2023. It approved the Bonnerworth Park project in the City’s 2024 Budget in December 2023.

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