With the design entering its final refining stages, construction-ready plans are expected soon for a pocket park at the corner of Marine Avenue and Alberni Street.
City of Powell River senior planner Jason Gow provided an update on progress of the park to the committee of the whole on Tuesday, September 13.
“The idea of a park in this location is not a new idea,” Gow told the committee. “It’s something that has been around for many years and failed to gain traction and come to fruition.”
After city council adopted the zoning amendment to allow for the creation of the park nine months ago, staff put out a request for tender for the final design and construction drawings.
Gow reported that five proposals were received and the evaluation committee, made up of members from the city’s parks, recreation and culture, and planning and engineering departments, unanimously selected Vancouver-based Attentus Landscape Architecture. Attentus principal Bob Lilly shared some of his refined concepts with the committee.
“It’s really a multi-functional park,” said Lilly. “There’s lots of space to hang out and have a coffee. It’s a place to cut through and also a gateway to the commercial strip.”
Prominent signage at the corner of the park will help announce Marine Avenue as a distinct location in the town, he said.
According to Lilly’s designs, the park includes a four-sided clock, shade trees and a diagonal sidewalk cutting across the park from Marine to Alberni.
New features include a harvest table with bench seating to emphasize community dining, a deck-like structure, boulders, custom bike racks and a drinking fountain.
Toward Marine, the design includes a future performance space on wooden decking and lawns for lounging. A seasonal tree is also included.
Marine Area Business Association (MABA) has long advocated for the creation of a park with a town clock in that location.
MABA president Cathy MacDonald said she is happy to see the park moving along, but says the association will wait until the park is nearing completion before it becomes involved again. The association is planning to fundraise for the clock to ensure it is part of the final construction, she said.
Gow said at this point the way the park was designed in drawings last winter will mostly be translated to the final landscaping.
He added the city hopes to involve the public in naming of the park, similar to the way it named the logger sports venue at Willingdon Beach.
The city planning department received $124,700 for the creation of the park in Powell River Community Forest’s most recent dividend announcement.
