Changes approved for Elgin St parkette

Vote at council Nov. 28

st lukes playground - elgin street burlington

St Lukes to the left; maintenance yard on the right, and the playground in the foreground

Plans have been approved for the Elgin Street parkette to expand the roads and parks maintenance building on that site, and redevelop the remainder of the land through a partnership with Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

Last week, the Community Services Committee of council approved construction of a new RPM facility where the old one exists. The new facility would be double the size of the old one. Parisioners at St. Luke’s church attended committee to express concerns about the impact of the facility on the historic park, and potential interference with uses at the church. I have committed to working with residents and staff to ensure the new building blends into the historic neighbourhood and has adequate fencing and shrub or tree screening. To read the report and see photos of this facility click here, Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Appendix D.

Committee also voted to proceed with plans to develop the park in partnership with Apeldoorn. Currently a small playground exists now. The original arrangement was for each city to select a park in their city, commit $100,000 in funds, and turn the design over to the other city. In a letter dated Sept. 26, representatives in Apeldoorn said that because of the “economic downturn it is not possible to develop the park in the short term” and they were putting the project on hold for at least 3-5 years. Burlington committee voted 6-1 to proceed on our end.

To read the report on the park, click here.

My take: The maintenance facility is in terrible condition and no longer acceptable for our staff, so I support the redevelopment but will be working with residents to minimize the impact. I did not support spending the funds at this time on the Apeldoorn project, and suggested we follow the lead of Apeldoorn to put the project on hold given our own significant budget needs, including aging infrastructure and our hospital.

Your view: Do you support moving ahead with the park development now? Would you like to participate in providing public input on the RPM facility? Let me know by leaving a comment below or email at

Thanks! You've already liked this
4 comments