The Town of Bracebridge approved a new framework to prioritize enhancements to municipal parkland, greenspace, and water access properties.
During the April 7 general committee meeting, Scott Clayton, director of public works, presented a report to council highlighting the need for a long-term parkland, greenspace and waterfront development planning framework as the town continues to grow.
“The Town of Bracebridge continues to experience growth, which has increased the demand for new municipal parkland, greenspace and water access properties,” states the report.
According to the report, as development continues and additional parkland blocks are acquired through the planning process, a coordinated and long-term approach to evaluating, planning and prioritizing parkland, greenspace and water access opportunities is required.
The proposal was first presented to council in 2020, identifying and prioritizing municipal water access properties and trail classifications, and was later included in the 2021 Municipal Budget and Business Plan.
The report states that in 2021, the town completed a desktop review identifying 45 municipally owned, undeveloped waterfront properties. Of those, 30 were selected for further consideration, while the remaining 15 were found to have limited or no development potential due to factors such as location, size, water frontage, access, terrain, and other constraints.
The proposal was carried over into the 2022 municipal budget process to review existing parks, trails, and water access locations, standardizing them within an industry classification system to support proper asset maintenance and development.
In 2023, council ratified the adoption of the Parkland, Trail and Water Access Classification System, which followed a secondary review of the 32 municipally owned, undeveloped waterfront properties for future development.
Following the work completed in 2023, the project was included in the 2026 Municipal Budget, allocating $10,000 to develop a long-term plan for enhancing and developing community, neighbourhood, and waterfront parks, green spaces, and parkettes, with no additional costs anticipated.
During the meeting, Clayton told council their plan also includes evaluating parking and access at high-use waterfront sites, exploring a non-resident parking pass system, and developing a formal naming policy for municipal parks and trails.
After a lengthy discussion, council approved the framework to provide a long-term, coordinated approach to managing Bracebridge’s growing network of parks, greenspace, and waterfront access for the years ahead.
Staff were directed to review the framework with the Ministry of Natural Resources to avoid potential issues. Any comments received will be reviewed and addressed in a future meeting.
