St. Marys council seeks revised Milt Dunnell Field design following public feedback

After reviewing public feedback from more than 1,300 residents on two concepts for a revitalized Milt Dunnell Field, St. Marys council has asked town staff to bring back a revised design that keeps the park’s ring road and includes other features highlighted by the public.

Town council met July 18 to review and use that feedback to consider short- and long-term plans for improving the park’s accessibility and usability, and to attract more visitors.

“The question of closing the ring road had to be asked at some point during this consultation, and it came up through the two concept designs which proposed the elimination of the ring road,” said St. Mary Deputy Mayor Fern Pridham, referring to a component of both designs that proposed the north half of the ring road be kept for two-way traffic and the southern half become a pedestrian walkway.

“We at council were kind of thinking that might not be the preferred option, but we sent it out for consultation with the public and we heard, I believe, quite clearly that there’s a lot of passion for our flats down there and people enjoy that park in many different ways. One of those ways that’s kind of a unique feature that’s really beloved is that we’ve got the ring road, and we know now for certain that we would like to keep that.”

In a previous interview with the Beacon Herald, André Morin, the town’s corporate services director, said many of the online survey’s respondents noted the ring road allows those with mobility issues to access the river and other natural features of the park in their vehicles.

In addition to keeping the ring road more or less as is, council also asked staff to bring back a design that incorporated shoreline erosion protections, pedestrian walkways and trails, an increased tree canopy, enhanced lighting, additional seating, picnic and river-viewing areas, an upgraded pavilion and enhanced event space.

“The feeling I got through the process is maybe a more simplistic approach is a desired approach, so keeping our park enjoyable and natural,” Pridham said. “It does need improvement, and there’s lots of opportunity to improve the park there.”

As town staff work with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the town’s consultants on a revised design, council also gave staff the green light to explore more immediate improvements to the park with previously approved grant funding set to expire in March 2024.

While Pridham said the town’s first priority is upgrading the park’s washrooms so they are accessible, the construction of an accessible dock, paving for the St. Marys Famers’ Market, repairs to the lawn bowling pitch, accessible playground upgrades, the planting of additional trees, and enhancing conservation efforts are also on the table depending on how much funding is left.

Work on those improvements is expected to begin in the fall while revised design concepts for the park’s future master plan will be developed over the next few months before being presented to council and the public for more feedback.

For more information on the Milt Dunnell Field revitalization project, visit www.discoverstmarys.ca/en/see-and-do/milt-dunnell-field-revitalization-project.aspx.

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