Town waiting for funding decision on adventure playground project at Riverdale Park in Alliston

There’s a reason the new equipment at the adventure playground in Riverdale Park in Alliston is still MIA.

Dan Burton, the Town of New Tecumseth’s director of parks, recreation and culture, said the equipment was on track to be installed this summer, but the work was paused after the province informed the town the project was being considered for funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

The joint federal and provincial funding program will provide $30 billion to municipalities over 10 years for projects related to recreation, culture and public transit.

If the province hasn’t made a decision by the end of the year, Burton said, council will have to decide whether to proceed with the work as planned, with the hopes of having the playground installed next spring.

The total cost of removing and replacing the equipment has been estimated at about $440,000.

Council has also agreed to award a contract to a company to design, supply and install playground equipment for the town over the three years.

Audits performed in recent years determined that 12 playground structures need replacing.

The draft budget includes funding to install new playground equipment at Faulkner Park in Alliston and Pitel Park in Beeton, and to replace equipment at Beeton Community Park and Eastern Park in Tottenham.

Faulkner Park will cost $700,000, Pitel Park will cost $546,000, and Beeton Community Park and Eastern Park will both cost $330,000.

CHANGE APPROVED

Council has rubber-stamped a zoning-bylaw amendment to allow SmartCentres to move forward in the planning process for a mixed-use development across from Walmart that will include eight apartment buildings.

The full development at includes 350 rental units, but the first phase of the development only has one building with 42 units.

The developer has also proposed using the site for a hotel and commercial self-storage facility.

A holding symbol has been placed on the property until the town determines whether sufficient water supply is available to service the development.