La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich said it could take months before a master plan is in place. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Standstill

La Ronge council stops redevelopment of Patterson Park

Feb 13, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The redevelopment of Patterson Park will stop after La Ronge resident Heather Bernardin told council they were missing the mark when it came to planning.

She made the comment at a regular council meeting, where she asked council not only to pause development, but also put out a request for proposals to create a master plan for the park, as well come up with a community engagement policy to assist in guiding such projects. Bernardin noted the funds already earmarked for individual elements should instead be put towards the development of a master plan.

“I’d like my council to be more pro-active and transparent, and not reactive in communicating community plans,” she said. “Delegations, petitions, larongeNOW articles and residents making half-a-dozen phone calls or emails are not the healthiest forms of engagement.”

It was back in August 2018 when council first approached the public about enhancements to the area through a survey called “The Perfect Patterson Park.” A public meeting was then held in October 2018 when council released the results of the survey. In total, 479 people responded to it with the most being women who have at least two children.

From the results, council approved spending $230,000 for work in Patterson Park in the 2019 capital budget. The work called waterfront park lights, a stage and theatre, boardwalk, landscaping, a camp kitchen and artwork for garbage cans.

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“What’s missing is a well thought out plan on how these park elements fit together,” Bernardin said. “Phasing, priorities, partnerships in park planning, potential funding opportunities, discovering what we don’t know about successful park planning and, most importantly, involving residents in those activities, and communicating all of those activities and milestones to residents.”

Council has already accepted an $88,000 bid by Mid City Electric Ltd. to enhance lighting throughout the park and La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich said that project will go ahead. He noted, however, council agreed with Bernardin and believe it is an opportune time to stop and rethink their plans.

“In her submission to council, she basically told us to put a plan together so we know what it all looks like and then do it,” Woytowich said. “When it was all over, we talked among ourselves and bottom line we agree with her.”

With development coming to a standstill, that means a stage which council planned to have ready by this summer likely won’t be installed. Woytowich mentioned it could take months before the town has a master plan in place.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno