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Projetos para o waterfront de Whitby

Whitby residents visualize future of waterfront

Survey finds 77 per cent of residents have positive view of harbour

Jul 28, 2011 – 01:06 PM

PARVANEH PESSIAN

 WHITBY — To sum up exactly what it is about the waterfront that brings her there every chance she gets, Doreen Todd takes a moment to breathe in her surroundings.

It’s a sunny Friday afternoon and the Whitby resident has decided to wash away the residue of a long week with the sight of the still water as she strolls along the lakeshore.

“This is really a haven here,” she says, gently caressing the petals of a flower in her hand.

“It’s everything really; it’s the water, the trees, the birds. It’s all so relaxing.”

For many of the residents who regularly visit Whitby’s sprawling waterfront, which measures about 11 kilometres in length with an area of 1,660 hectares, investing in the future of the area is a must.

Earlier this year, the Town of Whitby launched its waterfront parks and open space master plan study to establish a strategy for enhancing the waterfront’s natural, heritage and recreational features over the next 20 years. The first phase of the study featured a telephone survey that was conducted last month to gauge public interest in the current state of the harbour and gather input for future development possibilities.

About 77 per cent of the 400 respondents were found to have at least somewhat of a positive impression of the waterfront, compared to about 16 per cent who had negative views.

“In terms of preliminary numbers, it looks like over three quarters of the people who responded did have a favourable impression of the waterfront and of course, we hope through the study, that it will get better,” says Whitby’s parks manager Steve Edwards.

The survey determined that the most common use of the waterfront is for walking and biking along the trails, which comes as no surprise to resident Cory Pennacchio. He often walks his dog along the harbour with his wife and children.

“I’d like to see wider trails and paths in this area because sometimes you see packs of people riding bikes so more space would keep kids and pets safe,” he says.

Whitby’s waterfront includes conservation lands, open space and park lands. Some of the major community facilities in the area are Iroquois Park Sports Centre at 500 Victoria St. W., Port Whitby Marina at 301 Watson St., and Heydenshore Pavilion at 589 Water St.

Some ideas already tossed around over the years include restaurant or commercial development to attract more visitors to the area.

“Over the years, they’ve really improved on (the waterfront) but I’d like to see them finish off that restaurant they were talking about and find more uses to help the town,” says Bill Huson, a Whitby resident for more than 20 years.

Waterfront development plans are expected to take shape over the course of the next council term with a series of public workshops.

The survey was a crucial first step in phase one of the study process with 4,000 phone calls made to people of all ages across Whitby and Brooklin, says Mr. Edwards.

“The waterfront is a resource for everyone but what can happen in these things, and we know it from public meetings, is you get primarily Port Whitby residents coming out,” says Mr. Edwards.

“That’s good because their opinion is important but then you find you’ve got a big gap … (the survey) helps make sure you have a better sense of what residents want, right across the community.”

Town staff will bring forth a report to council with the results of the survey and early discussions with the consultant in September.

julho 30, 2011 Posted by Rosa da Silva | Canadá, Real Estate | whitby, Whitby waterfront, Whitby-Ontario | 2 Comentários