Construction has resumed on the Eagle Bay Community Park project this fall and will start up again as soon as weather conditions allow to get the much-anticipated park to completion in spring 2023.
Unforeseen challenges with drainage, geotechnical concerns with soil conditions, protection of the septic field and elevations, particularly for the planned sport court area, prompted the need for some redesigning of the park plan.
“While it was disappointing to have these delays, it is far better to ensure we get the sport court properly sited and built with appropriate drainage so it can sustain long-term use,” says Ryan Nitchie, the CSRD’s Team Leader of Community Services. “The changes we have made will maintain nearly all the elements of the previous design, except for the nature-play area − that area will now become an expanded lawn space.”
Eagle Bay Community Park will feature a children’s playground with accessible play components including a pour-in-place, rubberized fall zone around the play areas, outdoor fitness equipment, multipurpose sport courts, green play spaces and a picnic shelter.
The nature play area was removed from the design to avoid potential interference with the existing septic field that serves the Eagle Bay Community Hall. An underground piping and rock pit system is also being installed at the site to prevent issues with drainage.
The additional work increased the overall budget of the project, however, Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) Board Directors approved using an additional $250,000 of Electoral Area C Community Works Funds to cover the costs. This means there will be no additional tax levy needed to support the park development.
“This project has been a success story from the beginning with the exceptional partnership with the Eagle Bay Community Hall Society to use the lands, to the enthusiastic interest from the community in helping develop the design plans, to the point now where construction is underway,” says Nitchie.
“Despite the challenges discovered when we got the shovels in the ground, we know this is going to be a tremendous community asset for public use when it opens next spring.”
Photo: A 3D rendering of the layout of a portion of Eagle Bay Community Park including a playground, sport court and picnic shelter.
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