(Graphic courtesy/City of Melfort)

By Ben Tompkins

South Side Upgrades

Concept plan approved for Maude Burke Park refresh in Melfort

Oct 18, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Yet another step has been made forward in the development of the Maude Burke Park refresh project.

The City of Melfort has approved the conceptual plan for the playground which was created by the Scatliff+Miller+Murray (SMM) consulting firm.

As part of their 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, Melfort Council identified the renewal of the Maude Burke Playground and Spray Park as an objective to meet the goal of creating exceptional recreational opportunities and experiences.

They view the park as a very popular neighbourhood attraction that needs to be updated in order to keep meeting the needs of the community.

“I think it’s understood that Burke Park is incredibly important, particularly to the South Side residents. I think it’s the only city facility or city park in that whole neighbourhood, so certainly that captures a fairly large user group, and it’s been quite some time since that park has seen any improvements,” said community services director, Rob Lok.

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“I think both counsel and administration are excited about the possibilities that this park might bring, but at the same time, we need to be realistic about what we can afford. We’ll go through that process of deciding what pieces we want to take on and what pieces there are some substitutes available, where there might be some cost savings.”

To help SMM with its conceptual plan, a public engagement survey was released which received 134 responses, and a sidewalk meeting was held with the local Kin Club and other stakeholders.

Currently, the overall satisfaction with the park is just over 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, important park amenities are viewed as waste receptacles, fully fenced-in areas, shade structures, public washrooms, accessible play equipment, challenging play equipment for different ages, and seating.

Whereas, appealing park elements for older children include swings, climbing structures, an obstacle course, a basketball court, and monkey bars.

The cost of the proposed design ranges from 2,436,250 to $3,545,600, which includes site preparation, site servicing, playground structures, splash pad, building, shade structures, trees, site furniture, lighting, and fencing. This estimate also includes taxes and a 20 per cent contingency allowance.

It is proposed that the construction at Maude Burke Park will take place in phases to align with the available budget. It is also recommended that the City explore fundraising opportunities, grants, or naming rights to raise money for different park elements such as the splash pad or playground areas.

“Certainly, we do have some sticker shock with what some of this stuff may cost, playground equipment is typically quite expensive because of the liability associated with it. Next steps for us is to sort of take what is a fantastic plan and put it into a realistic lens in terms of what we realistically can afford, what sort of financial partners we might partner with on this project and what can we realistically build in Melfort,” Lok added.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll have a capital discussion on some elements of Burke Park for next year, and I’m hoping that we’ll have that capital discussion with council as budget deliberations unfold in November.”

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