A committee focused on boosting recreation in Turner Valley is venturing down the path of a multi-use day area near the river and an extended trail system.
The Turner Valley Parks, Paths and Recreation Committee received an overwhelming response from the public in both a survey and two open houses last summer regarding the committee’s suggestions to create a multi-use day area on seven acres of town land west of Decalta Road on the south side of the Sheep River and expand the existing trail system.
Committee chair Irene Waring said 105 people took the survey and about the same number attended the open houses. More than 90 per cent of those surveyed supported extending the pathway system and more than 80 per cent were in favour of a day use area.
“It was very clear that connectivity was super important to residents, that residents wanted to expand the pathways that we have at the moment,” Waring told council at its Oct. 21 meeting. “They are mostly interested in shale than actual paved pathways, which is a big savings right there.”
Council directed administration to continue working with the committee to review the pathways plan and bring it back to council to adopt as a guiding document.
Waring said more pathways could be added as finances allow in the coming years.
“Our residents want to connect to different areas of the town, they want to be able to enjoy some level of nature experience while going through the town,” she said. “A significant number of participants said they valued an expansion and effective pathway network.”
Turner Valley Town council also directed administration to work with the committee to begin planning the proposed multi-use area, dubbed Arrowhead Park, in a staged approach beginning with parking, day use area, initial trails and river access.
Arrowhead Park, named due to its arrow shape pointing west, also proposes a bicycle pump park, washrooms, observation deck, fitness park, dog agility park and off-leash dog park.
“People were very supportive of the idea and one of the big selling points to people is the fact the Town owns the land,” Waring told council. “People were excited about the fact that it’s a possible year-round use area because you could snowshoe in the winter. There’s various different things you can do in there in the winter, as well as in the summer. It’s multi-use and multi-age.”
Waring said residents who attended last summer’s open houses stated an interest in having a group area like a gazebo where people could meet and have parties, picnics and family reunions. She said there was less interest in the fitness park, dog agility park and observation deck.
In addition, a couple of people requested playground equipment and another one or two asked for a full playground, she said.
Committee vice-chair Mady Thiel-Kopstein told council that river access was the highest rated for the park, followed by the day use area and off-leash park.
She said if council approves the project, it would be completed in stages.
“We’re looking at a staged approach to this park and adequate funding will be required,” she said. “People were really interested in volunteering and this will help reduce costs and increase the level of ownership to these areas.”
Committee secretary Joel Den Haan expressed an urgency for the project, telling council that while the proposed land for Arrowhead Park is unmanaged, people are using the space frequently to walk their dogs.
“There’s a fair amount of debris along the river, barbed wire that’s strewn about,” he said. “There’s potential for liability.”
Cost estimates for Arrowhead Park is $156,000 for a gravel access road and 26 parking stalls, $114,000 for an observation deck, $91,500 for a pump track, $75,700 for a day use area, $29,100 for a dog agility park, $23,500 for an off-leash dog park, $17,750 for river access and $8,400 for trailhead and information boards. A cost estimate was not included for the washrooms.
Waring said if volunteers donate time and equipment to the project the costs will be significantly less.
Turner Valley Mayor Barry Crane told the committee they’re doing “fantastic work” in improving recreation in town.
“I love how far we have come, this parks and recreation committee, in working towards these initiatives of river access and pathways,” he said. “Every year it’s a little bit more, but it’s all coming together.”
