This week, crews with the City of Prince George will begin dismantling and decommissioning part of Heather Park in the Hart neighbourhood.
The park ball fields have been little used for the past seven years and are now in a state of disrepair, according to the city. In particular, the buildings and fencing have become a potential hazard to those who enjoy the area for activities such as walking and dog walking. The operation to completely remove the associated structures and materials is expected to be complete by the end of the summer.
In 2012, the Prince George Youth Baseball Association, a primary user of the facility, requested that the city remove the association’s exclusive use agreement as the fields exceeded their needs. In the spring of 2013, the PGYBA removed their assets from the site. Since then, the city’s Parks Division has maintained the site as a “non-active” sport field. The city will consider the site for repurposing to meet community needs as part of the city’s on-going Park Strategy. The area will remain zoned P1 (parkland) and there are currently no development plans for the location.
Additional Park Strategy public meeting
The City of Prince George is providing another opportunity for feedback on the its Park Strategy.
A meeting will be held at Ginter’s Meadow on May 10 in order to gather feedback from residents both about their priorities for city parks, and about the city’s current plan to pave the trail running through the meadow.
Ginter’s Meadow is a multi-use, public open space, which is designated as an off-leash area. Approximately one kilometre of trail within Ginter’s off-leash area is scheduled to be paved in 2016 to complete a fully accessible Foothills Trail link from 18th Avenue to Ferry Avenue. The trail will connect to the existing Ginter’s off-leash parking lot at the end of Massey Drive and to the portion of the Foothills trail that was paved in 2015.
“This trail link is part of the City’s 30 kilometre Centennial Trail Loop,” said Laurie-Ann Kosec, Strategic Park Planner with the City of Prince George, who will be among the staff attending the meeting. “Paving the route will make the meadow more accessible and available for citizens of all ages and mobility levels, which is important for many residents as the City does not yet have an accessible trail within any of the other two off-leash areas in the city.”