09-27-2023, 03:48 PM
(09-27-2023, 08:49 AM)SF22 Wrote: I think we really need to see some new park space in this area of town to help support the new towers that are on deck around the Market and Borden stations. It's frustrating that we haven't seen ANY progress on improving park area in the downtown core. Currently around these stations, there's the Schneider Creek/Stirling Greenway, which is just trails along the concrete creek channel, Sandhills Park at Cedar/Courtland, and the First Mennonite Cemetery (which is very limited in how it can be used, ie: cannot repurpose a section to be kid-friendly with a playground). The Cameron Heights field counts as a park too, but it's limited in its scope as well - a running track and an open field, that I believe has a playground shoved in the back corner that's only accessible off Stirling near Courtland.
It would be nice to see, say, the MCC Thrift (50 Kent) donate the back corner of their parking lot near the Schneider Creek bridge to be developed as a park space that is already surrounded by mature trees. Or the city could trim off the end of Palmer St that crosses the Iron Horse Trail and use that space; right now it's only providing rear access to a unit that has frontage on Kent. Just curve Hurst right around to Palmer, and we could regain a depth of 40-45m for parkland. Or both together!
The "back parking lot" (which, I believe, is mainly used by Cameron Heights students) is actually city property, the same as the trails, the creeks and the surrounding green space. Assuming that student parking is no longer required or can be had elsewhere, that parking lot could certainly be turned into a small park.