Barrie city council OKs sports field relocation and residents demand permanent waterfront protection

At the recent Barrie City Council meeting, residents and environmental advocates expressed concerns over the proposed location of a new sports field near Barrie's waterfront, urging its relocation to minimize environmental impact.

Deepak Bidwai – Local Journalism Initiative

Brian Miller, representing the Friends of Allandale Station Park, supported moving the sports field to Barrie Central Collegiate Institute at 125 Dunlop Street West. He advocated for designating Allandale Station Park as a protected environmental area to preserve it as a natural park space for future generations. "We recommend that Allandale Station Park be clearly rezoned as a restrictive environmental protected area," Miller stated, aiming to prevent potential future development controversies.

Concerns also arose regarding a proposed two-acre parking area near the waterfront. Miller and other advocates, including Arnie Ivsins from the Southshore Nature Park Task Force, argued this was excessive. Ivsins suggested limited mowing for overflow parking rather than the full two-acre cut that would require extensive vegetation removal.

Dorothy McKeown from Nature Barrie recommended limiting any grass-cut area to 0.6 acres, prioritizing environmental protection.

In response, Mayor Alex Nuttall proposed that City Council defer final decisions until staff present a design concept outlining the necessary mowing and parking requirements. He emphasized the importance of balancing development with environmental preservation, stating, "We have got here, and we have got, I think, a very good plan that's going to support getting a performing arts center built, which is something that I didn't believe that we had two years ago due to cost. I think we've got a better location for you. It's not as big as large. Doesn't have as many performance spaces, but I think it's something that we can actually bite into and get done."