It might be hard to picture what Innisfil Beach Park will look like in 20 years, with all that’s going on today, but Innisfil council and staff have tried to do just that with a master plan.
Council recently approved the Innisfil Beach Park Master Plan, a hefty document that sets an ambitious vision for the park as a focal point in the town.
Due to the size and scope of the plan, there were concerns from council.
“It seems like we’ve thrown everything into a pot,” said Coun. Kevin Eisses.
The plan divides the park and projects into five areas: the Neighbourhood Area, the Gateway Area, the Port of Innisfil, the Beaches Area, and Park-Wide Projects.
The master plan lists a number of capital projects for each area of the park, based on feedback from residents in surveys and public open houses.
Mayor Lynn Dollin said there were more than 900 responses to a town survey about the master plan, and hundreds of residents gave feedback in person.
“It's very well designed, and I think it reflects what those 918 or whatever surveys that came in said,” she remarked. “It has to be a park for everybody.”
The proposed capital projects include an off-leash dog area, a community garden, a skate park and BMX pump track, washrooms and mixed-use developments related to the town’s plans for a downtown commercial area extension.
“I'm not a BMX person and I'm not a skateboard person, but ... there are residents and people in Innisfil who are really keen on that," Dollin said.
On the topic of parking, a study conducted in tandem with the master plan since 2014 found that demand in the Alcona downtown area is being met. It identified nearly 2,000 parking spaces along Innisfil Beach Road, between the 20th Sideroad and the 25th Sideroad, but noted an additional 425 to 675 municipal parking spaces may be needed in the next 15 years.
Coun. Donna Orsatti, who had previously referred to the plan as a theme park due to the number of amenities, worried that approving the plan meant council was giving the green light to all of the proposed capital projects.
Tim Cane, the town's director of growth, assured councillors they would just be approving the projects in principle in order to help guide the capital budget process.
“We can prepare a better budget and start looking at those projects specifically, knowing full well there will be a full debate about each and every one of those projects as part of the council budgeting process,” he said.
Part of the plan is dependent on rezoning a portion of Innisfil Beach Road, which is expected to come before council on Aug. 12.
To find a copy of the master plan, visit getinvolvedinnisfil.ca/ibp.
Shane MacDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance
