"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 15 September 2013

A Variation On The Park Theme

 Tuesday we had another repeat  discussion on Queen's Jubilee Park, on John West Parkway.

For the whole of this story,  we have to go back a year:

David Engish Park is in a  new subdivision in the south-east.

In  the vicinity of the sales office, a large white sign  informed  potential homebuyers  of the park's location including two tennis courts.

The Master Recreation Plan called for x number of tennis courts by  within the five year term of the plan. David English Park was the opportunity to provide.

The subdivision agrement was long since signed . Homes  were already occupied. The sign was  faded and weatherbeaten.Development  charges had been  collected.

Provision of the deemed essential tennis courts was already behind schedule.

Tenders had previously been called. Bids were beyond budget . Parks staff decided if they acted as their own contractor, the  project could be brought in  within budget .It was within their authority to do so.

Works they could do themselves ,they did.  A satisfactory price was negotiated for  the court surface  and a date settled for the job.

Successful contractors are not sitting aound waiting  for the next job to start.

If they're not working ,they're not earning.

Councillor Gallo noticed  the work  on the tennis courts. His recollection was , it  had not received Council  approval  He contacted  town hall and  a stop work order  was issued.

To cut a long story short ,the tennis courts were not completed until this year.

On Tuesday, Councillor Gallo's  re-call of Council approval  was again at odds with the record . Queen's  Jubilee Park and authority to plan an accessibility playground was sought. The Councillor felt the  cart was before the horse. The neighborhood should be consulted before  plans  are created.

Unlike the David English Park ,where before the long approved commitment to tennis courts  was halted immediately prior to completion  without  prior consultation and without  any useful purpose.Quite the opposite.

Queen's Jubilee Park. as noted by the Councillor, is his neighborhood.

I drove  around that  park on Friday. There's nothing there. A couple of goal nets allows children  to
Learn the rudiment of soccer.Not a bad thing

But I dscovered  something weird about the park.

It's minute. But it has provision for parking on both the north  and south side.

A fully paved road encircles the park. The rioad and the parking probably occupies more  land than the park.
On the one side  , about twenty town houses are serviced by the road

A full road allowance  on three sides  of the park , probably with lighting and maybe sewer  and water lines,  service nothing.

Like the house that Jack built.

By the close of business on Friday,I was unable to discover a sensible explanation.









6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know if it helps you but Councillor Ballard has gone on a tear about this park. Sorry, I'm not going to read it. The gist seems to be about spending too much money.
That's the same park where Gallo didn't think they should have any tennis courts, isn't it? He lost that round.

Anonymous said...

Yes, the Civic Square park is practically Cllr Gallo's front yard, as he lives in the end unit of those townhouses.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the street will provide parking for all of the excess cars that won't fit in the driveways or garages those new homes.

Anonymous said...

14:08
I am no supporter of Councillor Gallo but fail to see the relevance of citing the specific unit in which he lives. Pretty petty.

Anonymous said...

The park and parking were for the soccer pitch. And a busy one at that. The 10 year and unders play (or played) there several evenings per week. The parking was perfect for participating families. We never minded using that little facility. The soccer club will miss it, as fields with adequate parking is not readily available in Aurora.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me.... John West Parkway? How many streets do we need to name after this guy?