By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The shape of Cobourg’s campground in coming years is becoming clear as council sifts through public input to deliver preferred options.
At this week’s committee-of-the-whole meeting, Councillor Emily Chorley separated essential from optional features based on this feedback in a motion that called for the procurement of engineering and other professional services to develop drawings, costs and tender documents for what she termed the essential features of the project – upgrades to such services as water, sanitary and electrical, service-building upgrades, registration-system upgrades, and an increase to rates and revision of policies.
Remaining features were termed optional in her motion, with preliminary work and costings for these to be done separately. These include general landscaping improvements, extending or expanding operations with the idea of year-round use, a multi-use trail around the perimeter of the grounds, and a review and possible adjustment of the configuration of the campground.
Mayor John Henderson asked if this last option could be reclassified as essential. Henderson argued this should best be done before service-building upgrades and service upgrades so the upgrades can conform to the revised layout. Chorley agreed it was a good suggestion.
Councillor Brian Darling noted that a buffer between the campground and the boardwalk had been contemplated but had not been listed in either essential or optional enhancements.
“I felt it wasn’t well received through the public-engagement process,” Chorley noted.
“We had people who felt it was unnecessary, and it was over $400,000 – one of the most costly improvements. And I also have concerns if it would be viable anymore because we are battling high water levels, and it didn’t make sense to move the boardwalk over closer to the waterline.”
It would also have risked reducing space available in the campground, director of community services Dean Hustwick added, when space is already at a premium.
“That would jeopardize the viability of the campground,” Hustwick warned.
Henderson played devil’s advocate over the service-building upgrade issue, noting that council will be dealing with the nearby Centennial Pool building reaching the end of its useful life in a handful of years – and which already has inadequate restroom facilities. Could services such as this be part of the upgrade, he wondered, in a multi-purpose semi-public building.
“We have been upgrading that trailer-park washroom since I have been here,” he said.
“I have been here 35 years.”
“I think the intention was replacement of the facility, not an enhancement,” Hustwick said.
“The Waterfront Plan includes a recommendation for the ultimate replacement of the canteen building-washroom facility. We could certainly look at the options.”
One of the challenges, however, is the privacy of the campers who – in fact – are the town’s customers. They have the right to privacy, and this must be kept in mind in any configuration of a new service building.
“I am open to looking at conceptual drawings with different options,” Chorley allowed.
“It might be an idea to replace the small reeption building and, in that location, build a joint washroom-reception block.”
“A minor comment – could we put a joint-service building upgrade in the motion to cover that?” Henderson asked.
“Staff could determine what that might look like for council’s consideration.”
Chorley reworded that option to make it a service-building upgrade and potential new joint-services building option.
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