City council has directed staff to consult with the public about the possible effects of the Lansdowne Park redevelopment on nearby Sylvia Holden Park.
Many Glebe residents were upset to learn that potential changes to their park were included in the Front Lawn Design Competition for Lansdowne’s green space and when city staff later declined a public meeting to discuss their concerns.
Of the five finalists, only two propose no major changes to the public park, which boasts a wading pool, baseball diamonds and a dog park.
City council voted unanimously in favour of a motion by Capital Coun. Clive Doucet that staff will meet with residents at least a week before the special council meeting about Lansdowne on June 24.
Doucet said it was important for park users to have their concerns heard separately, instead of trying to defend their park amid other issues at the wide-ranging June 24 session.
“They’ll have a chance to say to the senior people, ‘This is why this park is important, it’s 20 per cent of our green space, it’s the busiest park in the city, you can’t take it away from us without a really good reason and right now we don’t see one,’” Doucet said.
Caroline Vanneste, president of the Glebe Community Association, called the vote a victory.
“You can get a group of people together to fight the good fight and convince people that it is reasonable to ask our city staff to talk to us when they’re going to make a change to a park in our community,” she said.
