Last fall I held an onsite community consultation meeting for Sharel Park, with staff from our Parks & Recreation department. We saw a great turnout! This community is engaged and knows very well what is needed to improve usability and play value at this park; we captured many suggestions.
The City of Ottawa has several funding streams that can be allocated to park projects. One of them is ongoing ‘Lifecycle’ funding, which allows us to replace existing elements at the very end of their usability. Although in need, the play structure at Sharel Park has not yet risen to receive this funding.
Our 2016 city budget included ‘Strategic Initiative’ funding for parks, which provides capital cost for new elements in areas that are underserved. Based on feedback collected last fall, I pitched a new splash pad for Sharel which was well received by staff. With this type of funding secured, I’m excited to bring the community into the discussion.
Please share your comments with me by email to jean.cloutier@ottawa.ca, on you preferred area for the proposed splash pad. Comments will be accepted until June 17, 2016.
