Board Meeting Highlights
May 31, 2004

The following information is intended to provide quick highlights of this scheduled Board meeting. Every attempt has been made to summarize these highlights as accurately as possible; however, the complete and official minutes will be posted on the web site on the Monday one week prior to the next scheduled Board meeting.

Meeting Agenda - May 31 , 2004

STAFF REPORTS

The Future of Hastings Park: Park Restoration, the PNE and the Horse Racetack
The Board approved a number of recommendations relating to accommodating an annual fair and amusement park at Hastings Park, considering the balance between park and commercial uses and between community and city-wide needs, as well as issues around who makes decisions for and manages the park.

The Board:

  • reaffirmed its support for the restoration of Hastings Park into a major park serving North-East residents;
  • endorsed Approach #3 as the basis for more detailed planning as long as:
    • the stream and park connection to New Brighton Park are located between the racetrack oval and horse barn as generally shown in the 1997 Restoration Plan;
    • Hastings Community Centre is relocated on-site in an existing building;
    • Council appoints a staff project team with co-leads from City and Park Board to develop detailed design, phasing and funding plans; and
    • Council places the restored park land under the 'care, custody and management' of the Park Board;
  • supported the greening of a minimum of ten acres as a short-term priority.

Council will hold public hearings on the PNE/Hastings Park tonight (and also on June 7th if necessary). Park Board Chair Anita Romaniuk will present the Board's recommendations to Council as above.

MOTIONS

The Board endorsed the submission of an application for a Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Community Excellence Award, for the Park Board's new web site: www.vancouverparks.ca. The Board requested the UBCM's acceptance of the application in the category of "Best Practices - Web Site Design".

NEXT MEETING

The next regular meeting of the Park Board will be held at 2099 Beach Avenue on Monday, June 7, 2004.