Pemberton council has a new plan in place to bring the PlayScape back into the community.
New plans include a relocated and reshaped mound near the Pemberton Community Centre. The mound is currently a pile of excavation material placed on the green as-is. The relocated mound will be in the south-east corner of the site, while the Nature Play Park will be moved to where the mound currently is. Additional elements would include walking loops in the pocket park, an adjusted paving area along the Community Centre, shade trees, furnishings, and fencing.
Site prep work for the daycare expansion began in late 2022, necessitating the relocation of the nearby Nature Play Park and PlayScape structure. The Village of Pemberton (VOP) received $2,771,000 through the ChildCare BC New Spaces Fund for the expansion in April 2022.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, April 9, officials discussed the possible relocation of the play area, while councillors also raised concerns over the ever-disappearing green space in Pemberton’s downtown core. Location options on the table included the community centre, Den Duyf Park or any other site.
Staff presented a new report to the committee of the whole on July 9 regarding the results of a recent joint planning and design exercise undertaken by council and representatives from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD).
Staff asked Tom Barratt Ltd. Landscape Architects (TBLA) to provide a quote for the cost of creating a new design for the installation of the PlayScape. They also asked the architects to consider various priorities for the use of the green space. The proposal received from TBLA included a joint planning exercise, which took place on Tuesday, May 28.
Landscape elements including play equipment, planting, and furnishings were provided as cut-outs participants could lay out on the site. Both teams developed an overall site design approach before presenting it to the rest of the crowd. Participants were encouraged to look at the site as part of a larger network of green space within the community. Council previously raised concerns over the declining number of green spaces in the mountain village.
TBLA encouraged participants to consider the community centre grounds as part of a larger network of green space within the community, emphasizing the grounds as functioning as a cohesive space that should consider the long-term needs of a growing Pemberton.
Participants in the exercise stressed the grounds should provide space for the entire community, not just children. Many were concerned development chews up shared green space. There was a call for areas of respite for elderly neighbours and safety concerns about the mound in its current location. People also asked for additional screening, shade, bicycle parking, seating and picnic tables to be included in the plans.
The option of splitting up the Nature Play Park to create more flexibility with plans was previously discussed. However, both groups eventually shot down this idea, deciding the play park should go where the mound currently is. The mound should then be moved to the south-east corner and shaped to better suit the site.
There was an “overarching” similarity between the plans the two groups came up with. Participants then allowed TBLA to merge both plans to produce a preliminary “long-term concept plan” and a suggestion for a “first phase concept plan."
TBLA’s Alex van Zyl said in a letter to council they worked “to create a cheerful and balanced plan that aims to integrate various values and functions with ease and long-term use in mind.”
Councillor Ted Craddock wanted to know more about how much the plans will cost, to which staff explained a clearer view will be discussed at the Pemberton Valley Utilities and Services (PVUS) table.
Coun. Katrina Nightingale asked for safety to be put first. “Moving forward, I think we have created a really positive space for the entire community,” she said. “My only comment would be making sure that kids can’t slide onto the road. I am supportive of the plan.”
Mayor Mike Richman said the planning and design exercise resulted in a great site.
“We have landed at a great place here,” he said. “I like where we have landed. It might see us look to our community to find ways to do this. I think there would be folks in the community who would be willing to step up and support. I think some of it can be accomplished fairly simply.”
PVUS committee director Russell Mack recently voiced concern that funds were not already allocated for the reinstallation of the PlayScape.
“Right now we have no money to put this back to where it is. The money that we had has been used,” he said. It’s gone. We need to come up with a budget and come up with the money. We are starting over together.”
He emphasized he would like to get the project over and done with to cause minimal disruption to the community.
“We need to finish it,” he said. “Let’s not do it in three or five phases because then it would be a construction site for a period of time. Let’s figure out how much it’s going to cost and finish it.”
Mack said the next PVUS meeting isn’t until October. He asked if that timeline could be pushed forward to get the show on the road. “We need to speed that up,” he said. “We need to have a meeting sooner than later.”
The VOP’s recreation manager, Christine Burns, said she would need time to get everything ready.
“This isn’t just a simple cut-and-paste report,” she said. “I would be striving for the Oct. 9, PVUS meeting. That would be in time for the 2025 budget.” Burns reminded council the majority of funding opportunities happen during the first months of the new year.
Council forwarded the preliminary plans to the PVUS table for the next steps in the decision-making process.
