Neighbours in the Crescents area of Prince George are opposing the possible sale of their neighbourhood park, which is home to both a playground and lawn-bowling facility.
The City of Prince George is considering selling Watrous Park to facilitate the future development of a four-storey 90-unit apartment for seniors assisted living.
“I was upset,” says Natalie Warren, who received a request for comment notice in her mailbox from the city’s real estate services department, as she lives within 30 metres of the park.
“I was upset that they would think to develop an apartment building on a site that has hallways been a recreational site of one kind or another in this city.”
Warren says the park, located at 377 Watrous St. and 388 Wainwright St., is well-used in the neighbourhood.
“During the summer we often see people who come and throw the ball around or families coming to play,” says Warren. “It is a nice little slice of green space in an area that doesn’t really have a lot left.”
Warren says she and a few of her neighbours have started a petition to gather signatures of those in the neighbourhood who also oppose the sale of the park.
She has collected over 100 physical signatures, and also started an online petition so people outside the neighbourhood could more easily get involved, and that Change.org petition gathered over 145 signatures in 24 hours.
“The majority of people I talk to have been unhappy with the idea of it and several of those folks have written letters and signed petitions,” says Warren.
“It is difficult when you say no you aren’t going to sell the park to build seniors housing – you sound like a terrible person – of course, we need seniors housing but why Watrous Park?”
Watrous Park received new playground equipment in 2019. (via City of Prince George)Warren added that in 2019, Watrous Park also received a playground upgrade which is a part of the city’s multi-year playground replacement program.
“Why then did we get an upgrade if only a year-and-a-half later we get this notice in the mail?”
The park is also home to the Prince George Lawn Bowling Club, who have regularly scheduled lawn bowling sessions at the Watrous Park lawn bowling green throughout the spring and summer.
“I just think it’s important that we recognize that it’s a neighbourhood park that has been a park of one kind or another since this neighbourhood existed,” says Warren.
“In the end, it impacts our neighbourhood and it impacts the fact that our children can go to this park and not have to cross a busy road, our families can go and have a picnic and go toboggan or just be outside and have those moments.”
Should the proposed development proceed it will require an official community plan amendment and rezoning application to multiple residential which would include a public hearing.
In the petition, Warren and the signatories state they oppose the rezoning saying it will negatively impact the area citing concerns regarding the loss of green space, loss of the neighbourhood, park and an increase in vehicle traffic.
“We are collecting signatures and we are going to deliver those to city hall and we are going to email the results to city hall as well as mayor and council so that they get the information from the community directly,” says Warren. “We want to ensure that our voice is heard.”
The City of Prince George is accepting written submissions regarding the potential sale of the park until Friday (Nov. 20) at 5 p.m.
