Some residents of Merrickville Estates have made their wishes known about what they would like to see in the parkland planned for the subdivision.
According to Merrickville-Wolford CAO, Doug Robertson, certain subdivision agreements require the developer to set aside a plot of land for parkland to be developed and maintained by the municipality. This is the case for lot 72 (between lots 12 and 20 facing Collar Hill Road) in Merrickville Estates Phase 1.
Merrickville-Wolford council received correspondence from Francine Lapointe Côté and Emil Côté stating that they had told the Recreation Advisory Committee in September, 2016, through a survey circulated to residents, what they would like to see developed in the green space adjacent to their home. “We have not heard back from the committee,” the letter states. “We raised the topic during pre-elections discussion with one of the candidates; to be informed that the topic never really made it to council.”
Emil and Francine’s letter to council clearly states that they would not like to see any infrastructure that allows team sports in the parkland. This is due to their own experience living close to a park in Gatineau, where team sports were played on a regular basis. They say that having sporting events near their home was disruptive in terms of noise, light pollution at night, and garbage left on site.
“We recommend that expansion of existing infrastructure located near the Merrickville Community Centre be considered for team sports,” they write. “Economically, it makes sense to draw-in people to use the wonderful restaurants, municipal parking areas, and to bask in the most beautiful, lively and active village we know.”
Instead of sports fields, Emil and Francine would like to things like a meditation area, open spaces for mature trees to continue to grow, a playground for children, and trails for walking and biking be included in any development of the parkland. “We hope that the Merrickville-Wolford Recreation Advisory Committee will consider the long-term effect in allowing team sports to be played in the currently mature green spaces in magnificent display along Collar Hill,” they write. “This is what attracted us to the area in the first place.”
Doug says that there is nothing currently planned for the development of the land Emil and Francine are concerned about. “Council has to have that discussion,” he says.
