Porcher Park Additional Land Dedication

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Porcher Park, which was dedicated as Park in 1971, is set to undergo an extensive expansion and renovation. The City of Langford has recently acquired three (3) properties, located at 851 Brock Avenue, 826 and 830 Wren Place shown on the attached plan as Lots 1, 4 and 3 respectively, adjacent to Porcher Park. Staff are recommending that the three (3) new properties be included in the Park dedication creating a singular contiguous property measuring just under one acre. Staff are recommending this dedication, as it will create a new park and greenspace in the city center, provide a higher certainty of protection from non-park uses, and it supports the City’s ongoing asset management through both data accuracy and bylaw enforcement. The explanatory plan required for this dedication is approximately $1,800. The explanatory plan will be registered with the Land Title Office. Once registered, the entire area will be one entity and dedicated as Park.

BACKGROUND

Porcher Park is set to undergo an expansion and renovation. The City of Langford has been acquiring property around Porcher Park over the last 5 years, more specifically, 851 Brock Avenue (Lot 1 plan VIP24870) was purchased in 2019, while 826 (Lot 4 Plan VIP24870) and 830 (Lot 3 plan VIP24870) Wren Place were purchased in 2023. These properties were acquired to expand and provide access to existing parkland (Porcher Park) located at 822 Wren Place. The existing parkland was dedicated as Park in 1971. Currently, these lots are owned by the City as fee simple lots being used for the purpose of parkland.

COMMENTARY

Staff are recommending this dedication as it will provide a higher certainty of protection from non-park uses and it supports asset management (both data accuracy and bylaw enforcement). By consolidating the properties, the City will add .629 acres of parkland, in the city center, to the existing Porcher park as well as to the dedicated parkland inventory. The additional area will result in Porcher Park being roughly one acre of protected green space in the City Centre. Furthermore, the consolidation of these parcels will provide higher levels of accuracy regarding the number of parks and properties being used for parks in the City. For example, without consolidation, the expanded Porcher Park would appear as four (4) individual properties being used as park which may lead to confusion and inaccuracies regarding parkland statistics. Lastly, the dedication of these properties as Park will avert the possibility of future development or removal from the parkland inventory without approval of the electors.

Staff have attached a draft plan to this report to provide clarity. As the properties were all part of the same subdivision plan, the process of dedicating the properties as park can be completed with relative ease and minimal cost. Should Council direct staff to dedicate the three (3) properties as park, an explanatory plan will be registered with the Land Title Office (LTO).

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The cost of a surveyor to prepare an explanatory plan for the City to register with the LTO is estimated to be $1,800.00.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

Registration of an explanatory plan with the LTO for consolidating the existing Porcher Park with the 3 adjacent properties (851 Brock Avenue, 826 and 830 Wren Place) into a single parcel.

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES

This proposal aligns with Strategic Priority One – 1l Continue to make strategic land and facility acquisitions, as well as Strategic Priority Six – 6l Increased access to recreation infrastructure and services.

OPTIONS

Option 1

THAT Council direct staff to execute the documents required to dedicate the parcels with the civic addresses of 851 Brock Avenue, 826 and 830 Wren Place as Park and consolidate these lands with the existing Porcher Park.

OR Option 2

THAT Council take no action regarding the dedication of 851 Brock Avenue, 826 and 830 Wren Place at this time.

SUBMITTED BY

Wolfgang Schoenefuhs, Parks Planning Coordinator

CONCURRENCE

• Yari Nielsen, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities
• Donna Petrie, Senior Manager of Communications & Economic Development
• Matthew Baldwin, RPP, MCIP, Director of Development Services
• Leah Stohmann, RPP, MCIP, Director of Community Planning and Climate Change
• Katelyn Balzer, P.Eng., Director of Engineering and Public Works
• Michael Dillabaugh, CPA, CA, Director of Finance
• Marie Watmough, Director of Legislative & Protective Services
• Braden Hutchins, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
• Darren Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer