There are two options for the District of Peachland鈥檚 Turner Park.

The consultants for the Turner Park project, Outland Design Landscape Architecture, said during the Tuesday (Sept. 7) council meeting that the space could be turned into something that has a regulation ball diamond with a dog park or an open space park.

Currently, Turner Park sits undeveloped since the district purchased it on March 30, 2021, for $3.1 million.

The first option for development will see the majority of the park turned into a single-sport field (baseball), with the perimeters used as spaces for a small dog park, a playground, and a bookable event space. Should council go for this first option, Outland Design鈥檚 Fiona Barton said the district would have to re-evaluate the ball diamond currently in Cousins Park, so the district doesn鈥檛 have two of the same thing.

Barton said that through a community survey, they鈥檝e heard from residents that they want a more open space where they can play sports and go tobogganing in the winter, which would only be possible if the district went with the second option, which will feature a prominent open space, a multi-use court, a playground, and a dog park along the perimeters of the park.

This way, Barton said, the space can be programmable and used for a variety of sports and activities.

She added the next steps will be to prepare detailed images, which will then be presented to the community again in a public consultation, after which it will go back to council for approval.

Coun. Pam Cunningham said she likes the idea of putting something in Turner Park that they don鈥檛 have anywhere else in the district, like a basketball or pickleball court.

鈥淚 think we should put something (there) we don鈥檛 have (anywhere else) so when people come, we鈥檒l have something for everybody,鈥� she said.

鈥淚鈥檓 not in favour of the dog park鈥� do you want to book a wedding beside a dog park?鈥�

Coun. Patrick Van Minsel agreed with Cunningham, adding that maybe they can put in barbecue areas so people can gather at the park.

鈥淚 like the concept of the open space. We already have a ball diamond at Cousins Park鈥� I don鈥檛 see the necessity of another but I do not agree with the dog parks. We are in desperate need of one,鈥� he said.

The presentation was received for information and will make its way back to council after public consultation and feedback are gathered from the community.

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