A public meeting is planned for next Tuesday
Kelowna's parks are a big part of the city's character – and as the city grows – more green spaces will be needed.
To that end, Kelowna Parks and Buildings Planning Manager, Robert Parlane, says they're exploring new sources of funding.
He says charging a property development fee is one idea – also using a portion of the city's infrastruture levy – and then there's the money generated from things like park concessions, cell towers in parks, rental properties and parking.
Parlane says neighbourhood parks are one of five that'll need funding.
"We also have community parks, then we have recreational parks that include sports fields, and we have city-wide parks – which are destination parks that people want to travel to; our beach fronts, our mountain tops – the more significant parks. Lastly, we have linear parks which are along trails," says Parlane.
He says until now, the rate of developing parks into useable spaces has not kept up with the City's rate of growth. As a result, there is a growing deficit of developed parks, which is insufficient to serve Kelowna's residents. The strategy is designed to align park acquisition with park development.
"The cost to implement this parks development strategy is about $12.1 million per year over the next 10 years which is about $9.1 million more per year than our existing budget," says Parlane.
A public information session is planned for the Royal Anne Hotel next Tuesday, June 25th, to discuss the funding strategy.
