When local developer John Kennedy donated land from his Pinewood subdivision almost 60 years ago, he had one goal in mind: create permanent passive parkland for the city to enjoy.
Now, with a portion of that land under threat of being cleared and graded, neighbourhood residents and the Friends of John Kennedy Memorial Park are out to protect that vision with a vengeance.
The Near North District School Board is proposing to clear a 1.2-acre portion of the six-hectare forested property for their new elementary school, which is already under construction on the site of the former Pinewood Public School.
Because of expanding parking and busing requirements, the vision for the joint-use agreement is to see the over 500 students of the new school use a portion of cleared and graded parkland, while also allowing the general public to use the school’s recreation resources.
See related story: Altering park would be betrayal and breach of trust say activists.
Concerned citizen and neighbourhood representative Murray Neil, who lives in the heart of the Pinewood area, took to the podium in front of a packed house at Monday night’s City Council meeting to seek clarification of the city’s intent behind the agreement.
Neil was one of many in attendance in Council Chambers who stand vehemently opposed to the joint-use agreement between the City and School Board.
“John Kennedy deeded that land to be left in its natural state as a passive park, and that is what is has been for the last 60 years,” Neil said in his passionate presentation.
“Kennedy Park is way ahead of the curve,” he added. “It happened by accident, the City of North Bay never really invested in it over the last 60 years, and yet here we are with a cherished piece of land.”
To Neil’s delight, Mayor Al McDonald reassured him that after canvassing the majority of his council colleagues, he and the politicians are not supportive of the joint-use agreement.
“When the School Board approached our city staff and it became public […] I reached out to members of council individually to find out where they stood on the issue and the vast majority did not support it, including myself,” said McDonald.
“Absolutely it should stay the way it is,” he added. “The neighbourhood has made it very clear that the school can use the park, the kids can use the park - what they don’t want is an acre and a bit cut down and fenced off.”
Last month a petition was circulated throughout the neighbourhood to preserve the parkland in its present state.
As of Monday night, Neil said the petition had close to 700 signatures, while the online version has 296 supporters against the tree-cutting, landscaping and clearing.
“These alterations would transform the neighbourhood, through the removal of mature trees and natural environment, which would also directly impact wildlife, resident properties that when purchased were assured the natural green space could not be converted,” reads the petition.
To view the online petition, click here: https://goo.gl/fKxMGE
In a press release last month, the School Board said the parkland in question would only be used for park activities.
They then hosted an open house less than two weeks ago to get a sense of the community reaction and to gauge whether the parkland’s changes would be of net benefit to everyone involved.
“They’re saying all the right things, but we can’t quite understand why they’re pushing so hard to come in and slash and take all this area,” said Neil, a retired teacher.
“We want the park to be left the way it is in its passive state,” he added. “To us, a school yard is not John Kennedy’s wish of a passive park, it’s an active playground.”
Until six weeks ago, Neil said the only correspondence any members of the neighbourhood had with the School Board or its representatives was an email from the project’s architect assuring them that the option to use the land was not being pursued.
But Neil said the School Board’s design plans and submission for approval of funding submitted in June 2014 clearly show the wooded parkland area as an intended playground.
“Nowhere in any of the releases does it have any inclusion of the John Kennedy Memorial Park for additional playground equipment or space,” Neil explained. “However, in June, July and August 2014, the very same School Board approved the plans, submitted them to the Ministry of Education financing and obtained a city permit from the City of North Bay.
“On those plans, it shows a section of 1.2 acres of land as proposed adjacent school yard, so those ideas have been out there for some time,” he added.
The park was originally deeded to the City in 1959 by John Kennedy, the developer behind the Pinewood Village Subdivision, in lieu of the installation of curbs, gutters, storm sewers and sidewalks.
In 2004, the park was officially dedicated to Kennedy, at which time then-Mayor Vic Fedeli echoed the intent to keep the parkland passive open space for anyone to enjoy.
Neil cited previous attempts to use the park space for various projects, including a development proposal in 2001 and a five-lot surplus land sale proposal in 2004.
“As neighbours, we thought that the concerns and love of our park would be protected once and for all,” said Neil. “Somehow the School Board has come in unannounced to the neighbourhoods without consultation, not only without consultation with the neighbourhood, but without consultation, to my knowledge, with anybody in the city.”
Neil explained that the lot in question contains some of the best vegetation in the entire park, including mature maple trees, as well as acting as a significant noise barrier from the neighbouring bypass traffic.
The School Board is also in the midst of trying to name the new school and are looking to draw from its surroundings for inspiration.
“From the many suggestions received, the most common theme was the wish to convey the natural beauty of the geography which is special to this area,” reads the School Board’s release.
