Mary Allen Park Public Workshop Data Mary Allen Park Today The following is a full listing of all comments received at the Public Workshop event held on Thursday, October 8th, 2015, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hauser Haus, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, 101 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo and reflects the contributed thoughts of the participants, not necessarily the feasibility or preferences of the City or it s consultants. What is your main observation on Mary Allen Park and how it is used today? Run around and get fresh air Good for all ages Lighting safety, syringes found lately Main observation: kids use play structure, kids use for skating in winter, MANA activities Clean park x7 Kids use park given current/existing facility. Park is always busy. A place for trees to grow unimpeded x7 Gathering place, playground, basketball, hockey/skating, swinging, dog walking Good for shade and sun x8 Go on your scooter on the pavement x6 People come from beyond the neighbourhood x6 Diversity of sports, kids, dogs, nature & exploration Used for events x7 Meeting place all ages x6 Annual fun fair, MANA, several MANA events Used by children of many different ages from toddlers to teens. Dog walkers too, sometimes off leash! Great community/common connection space Playing x8
Trees great, playground, nice benches Hard surface is used for diverse things bike rallies, skateboarding, MANA events no drainage issue Yoga, hockey, skating, MANA Playground for young children Fetch with dog. Skating, hockey, I hate the gravel in the playground Frisbee, and basketball Not a gathering place Easter Mary Allen hunt, park clean up Park caters mostly to families with young kids. Not inviting to other demographics Used by people with young kids but not by elderly people or young singles. Berm=interesting, creates a safety Young kids, neighbourhood fair, concern. How can similar dogs, basketball massing/elevation be done safely? Playground is ugly (plastic) Cramped playground and rink No place to linger, or sit and enjoy the Underused view No conversation space seating is Main hub of community events currently linear Who is maintaining the rail corridor? Chainlink fence unwelcoming Brush, trees, long grass needs to be maintained Rink is a draw for all ages Empty space used for dog leash free park Used spaces are generally crowded, playground, rink No circulation into/through the site
How do YOU use the space? Community events x6 MANA events x7 Playing with my young kids x6 Sports x7 Socialize/fresh air x6 Hard surface not quite large enough for many things to happen Bike in the space. Played basketball: principles, on flat hard surface - could be slightly larger (15-20% larger) MANA skating, pumpkin, Easter, park clean-up, yoga Picnic tables, relax lunch, park clean-up MANA events. Older kids hang out there. Swing in it with my wife when everyone is gone Scootering, climbing, picnicking, swinging Pavement use, playground x6 Picnic, play with kids, MANA events Basketball, skating in winter, swings Family skating party Our kids love to go there to play on Playground, MANA events equipment, other games, skating, basketball, picnics Playing soccer, Frisbee MANA activities Can use lots of different kinds of spaces in park x7 Play fetch with my dog Dog walking, MANA events, skating
What is your biggest criticism of the current park facility? Ditch along trail needs to be Hidden area waste space/unusable improved cut through (Allen & John). Seating for seniors to sit and watch kids play. Harder surface to travel easy Maintain privacy in yards that abut Lack of enclosed (all season) the park community meeting space Remove the fence that separates the two areas asap Need to focus on community element most existing homes have private yards Original plan did not natural area for community involvement (all active) Currently recreational/activity park needs to change Trees/brush at rear of park needs to be thinned out Doesn t touch all demographics Rail corridor needs to be better maintained x2 Derelict lack of open space and shelter No sense of design to it Off leash dogs in future expansion space No equipment for all ages (monkey Space open to fly electric aeroplanes bars) and other stuff Poor site lines lack of open space Better facilities for skating use (tiered seating, clear of snow) Unkempt fringes messy horticulture, low visibility, lack of open space to play Frisbee Maintenance ground cover/bushes/trees. Privacy vs. Open visibility Lack of seating/shaded seating Not enough open green space Unify new and old parts of park Treeline along vacant lot is a barrier that should come down or be altered maintain better cutting
Existing area is not interesting Concerns with area behind bushes behind playstructure & between trail and park, and drug paraphernalia (needles) Visibility at back of park better maintenance. Not removing picnic tables & garbage cans in winter Dogs not on leash therefore feces in grass Not too many hard surfaces, need porous surfaces A new entrance through the rail tracks. The bushes are full of pesticides and dangerous items. Brush that separates 2 areas needs to be removed/managed There is no big open greenspace; open grass to throw a ball or run or have a game on a soft surface Visibility. Keeping park as one part. More garbage cans. Not clean no recycling, garbage always full, feces x2 No flow, it s ugly Lighting needs to be improved light pollution is a concern to consider Chainlink fence is pretty worn (John St. properties) check property ownership Parking on site? If we need to be age accessible (along Willow) No good seating areas (to read a book)
What other outdoor spaces do you or your family use in the vicinity for specific activities? Mount Hope Cemetery: trails, history EZ grounds for playing Spur line trail/iron horse for scooting Victoria Park (good equipment) Some street use. Public square. Elizabeth Ziegler school yard. Dentist office on Union. Trail (spur line) Splash pads Breithaupt, Waterloo Park, & Victoria Park We use our street Other spaces St. Louis parking lot, bikes Biking on spur line Duke St. Park in Kitchener Waterloo & Victoria Parks Fun to walk to community gardens at St. John s Uptown Square, Waterloo Park, Victoria Park, EZ tobogganing Water features attract birds be aware. Kids gravitate to water in any park. Victoria Park, Waterloo Park, EZ ball fields and sled hill, on our street, backyard Waterloo Park, dentist clinic parking lot, our driveway Lay on top of EZ hill and watch the stars Berm combo w/waterfall, similar to park at Mindemoya (Manatoulin) Travel to Victoria Park for water/splash Own backyard, neighbours backyard, church parking lot Bechtel Park for x-country skiing