Duncan’s Station Street Park may be getting a makeover.
City council recently voted to direct staff to include the costs of improving overall accessibility, seating and pathways in the little park, one of the city’s newest, for consideration in the budget for 2020.
The decision was made after the park’s accessibility issues were raised at a meeting of Duncan’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues in June.
In a staff report, corporate services coordinator Allison Boyd said that the issue had been brought to the committee’s attention by a wheelchair-bound resident who is finding it difficult to maneuver a wheelchair on the park’s gravel walkway.
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“The ACDI would like the city to consider including accessibility when building all new parks and public buildings,” Boyd said.
“Accessibility in city parks could include swings for children with disabilities, picnic tables with hard compact gravel or paved pathways for wheelchair accessibility, and letdowns from pathways and sidewalks.”
The city purchased Station Street Park in 2013, and it was refurbished in 2016 with the addition of picnic tables, lighting, a gravel pathway between Station Street and Kenneth Street’s No. 1 parking lot, trees and artificial grass.
It’s used frequently by visitors viewing its totem poles, and others enjoying their lunch or just having a rest before continuing their trek around town.
Boyd said council also directed staff to use the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design when considering the park’s upgrades.
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CPTED is the science around the design and effective use of physical space to lead to a reduction in both the incidence and fear of crime.
Aspects such as fencing, cameras, lighting, and vegetation strategically placed in the park to reduce crime could be considered by planners in the park’s makeover.
“Although no other specific park projects are being considered at this time, all future projects will consider accessibility issues as well as CPTED, safety, environmental impacts and other factors. If an accessibility concern is brought to the ACDI’s attention, then they can consider the issue and make a recommendation to council.”
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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