SARAH WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
The municipality is seeking feedback from the public on three proposed concepts that would guide the revitalization of Wellington Rotary Beach. The concepts in question were developed by a diverse group of beach users and community members while the project is being supported by the Wellington Waterfront Task Team. Information about the Wellington Beach revitalization can be found on the municipal platform, Have Your Say.
(County of Prince Edward graphic)
In the spring of 2022, the Wellington Waterfront Task Team was formed at the request of Council and the Community and Economic Development Commission for the purpose of developing a revitalization plan for the Wellington Rotary Beach.
The plan must address challenges facing the beach, such as parking, pedestrian access, accessibility, outdated amenities and more.
In May 2022, the Task Team engaged landscape designers from The Planning Partnership to work with a group of 25 community members to co-create three different concepts for the future of Wellington Rotary Beach.
As can be seen online, the concepts are divided into three categories: Big Move, Tweak and Naturalize.
The ‘Big Move concept represents a picture of how the beach could be developed over a longer period of time, with significant financial investment and major infrastructure improvements.
Elements of this concept include:
- Reconstruction of the road and boardwalk to minimize the impacts of the rising lake levels
- Locating paid parking on the north side of the road
- Constructing a new pedestrian bridge to Belleville Street to create a connected pedestrian walking loop
- Constructing new, centralized, all season buildings to house park facilities as well as vendors/concessions.
(County of Prince Edward graphic)
The Tweak concept represents a picture of how the beach could be improved in the immediate and interim timeframe, with modest financial investment and infrastructure improvements.
Elements of this concept include:
- Reconstruction of the road and boardwalk to minimize the impacts of the rising lake levels
- Moving vehicle parking to a central location that also serves as a drop-off / turnaround
- Providing new structures to house vendors / concession
- Re-organizing the boat launch area to provide some trailer parking while re-naturalizing the area on the beach side with native and dune plantings
Meanwhile, the Naturalize concept represents a picture of how the beach could be developed as a natural environment where vehicle access is strictly limited to access and drop-off only.
The concept contains elements that may be implemented in the immediate term and over the longer timeframe, with modest to significant financial investment.
- Narrowing of the road
- Removal of the existing washrooms and the construction of new shade pavilions along the boardwalk
- The most significant elements of this concept are the pedestrian bridge crossing of the channel to connect to Belleville Street and the introduction of a shuttle to connect to off-site parking facilities.
At this point in the revitalization process, the task team is seeking to understand what the public likes and or dislikes about the proposed concepts. Feedback regarding this revitalization project is currently being collected through a survey that can be completed here: haveyoursay.thecounty.ca/wellington-rotary-beach-revitalization
Feedback on these concepts will be used to inform a longer-term plan for Wellington Rotary Beach, which can then be used to seek funding for capital projects and beach improvements. As the project progresses, there will be further public consultation and work to ensure alignment with the Quinte Conservation Authority Shoreline Management Plan and other relevant plans.