INNISFAIL – The entrance to Centennial Park could soon be locked shut at 10 p.m. every night with a new speed bump in a sweeping initiative to deter late night and early morning rowdyism.
Town council was presented with a new administration plan to confront Centennial Park’s ongoing noise problems at its regular meeting on June 6, but Mayor Jean Barclay wanted to go further and put it in place as soon as possible.
In his report, Gary Leith, the manager of manager of fire and protective services, proposed changing the Parks Bylaw to increase park quiet time from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Leith also proposed additional park signage, installation of a speed bump at the park’s entrance and “consideration” in the 2023 municipal budget for a timed gate at the park’s entrance.
After brief council discussion about the plan, Mayor Jean Barclay said she was going to be a “pain” by not supporting it. She wanted the plan to go further and be immediate.
“I don't think speed bumps are going to stop the rubber in the parking lot. “I don't think quiet hours are going to do anything,” said the mayor, adding she’s been getting a “lot” of feedback about park problems and they need to be stopped with “immediate solutions.
“I think if we don't put a gate on the park, and then we don't have a sign that says it is closed at 10 o'clock at night and it opens at 7 a.m. in the morning, then it's (plan) always going to be reactionary.
“And we're always going to be relying on people close to that park who are going to have to phone in problems at midnight or two o'clock in the morning,” she added. And they (nearby residents) don't deserve to have their lives interrupted.”
Council then agreed to move a new plan for Centennial Park to the next regular council meeting this month to allow Leith to get some cost estimates on a timed gate and bring them back to council.
Leith told council he had already started the process. As for the cost of a new timed gate, he later told the Albertan he could only refer back to an estimate from 2017 and that price tag was around $20,000, not including administrative costs, which would have somebody go out to the gate and physically lock and unlock it at different times.
Leith added there were a number of different options, including a gate with sensors and a timer.
“I wouldn't like to speculate at this point,” said Leith on what the cost would be five years after his last estimate. “I have approached the company and I'm expecting a call and initial quote, and obviously there's those additional add-ons on what they would look like.”
As well, Coun. Don Harrison told council that if a gate is to be installed the town would have to look at creating an extended barrier, preferably large boulders, along 100 to 150 meters on each side of it to thwart illegal motorist entries.
“That's the reality,” Leith told the Albertan. “We would we would install an appropriate barrier alongside that to continue the barrier that's currently around that park.”
