Part 1: Delhi Park Vision, Lions Club Road Toll, and Infrastructure Planning – 06/13/2024
- PECConnect
- Jun 13, 2024
- 3 min read
The County Committee of the Whole met on June 13, 2024, at Shire Hall in Picton to review a wide-ranging agenda focused on community fundraising, park planning, transportation, and long-term infrastructure management. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Phil Prinzen (Bloomfield/Hallowell) and brought together Council, senior staff, presenters, and members of the public for a detailed afternoon of discussion.
The meeting opened with routine confirmations before moving quickly into substantive items. Early discussion touched on a procedural question raised by Councillor Chris Braney about the Mayor’s authority to adjust future meeting times. Municipal Clerk Catalina Blumenberg explained how the procedure bylaw applies, and Mayor Steve Ferguson clarified that a proposed time change related to an invitation from the Air Force Museum. No decision was made beyond confirming the agenda.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes.
Lions Club Road Toll Request
The first deputation came from Don Lyons, representing the Prince Edward County Lions Club. Lyons outlined a request to continue long-running roadside fundraising tolls on Stanley Street in Bloomfield on long weekend Mondays between July and October. He explained how the tolls are set up safely, how volunteers are managed, and how operations shut down immediately if weather conditions become unsafe.
Council members, including Councillor Kate MacNaughton and Councillor Phil St-Jean, spoke to the long history of the initiative and its local benefits. The committee voted to receive the deputation and approved the request, allowing the tolls to continue through the remainder of the current Council term.
Delhi Park 2034 Youth Engagement and Vision
A major portion of the meeting focused on the future of Delhi Park. Keaton Zachariah, Project Coordinator with the Greater Than County Youth Collective, presented outcomes from a youth-led hackathon tied to the Delhi Park 2034 Accessibility, Community Connections, and Active Transportation Plan. Zachariah described how youth participants explored the park, identified barriers, and proposed ideas focused on accessibility, safety, and community use.
Following this, Victoria Taylor, Principal of VTLA Studio, delivered a detailed presentation outlining the seven-month planning process behind the Delhi Park 2034 plan. Taylor explained the park’s history, current constraints, and its potential role as a central connector for Picton. She emphasized accessibility, active transportation, and long-term phasing, noting that the plan is designed to evolve as funding becomes available.
Public comments reinforced these themes. Ian Chodikoff, a Sophiasburgh resident, spoke about the park’s cultural and landscape value and asked about next steps for fundraising. Kelly McGillivray, Chair of the Traffic Advisory Committee, framed the plan as essential transportation infrastructure rather than a park upgrade, highlighting its potential to reduce congestion and improve mobility.
After extensive discussion, the committee endorsed the Delhi Park plan as a long-term, multi-phase project, directed staff to pursue external funding, and formally declared the project a Project of Community Interest, enabling future fundraising and donations.
Other Infrastructure and Planning Items
Council then reviewed a report on the York Street laneway in Picton, confirming that it will remain open to vehicles while still allowing for pedestrian use during special events. This decision was tied closely to access needs for nearby medical offices.
The meeting concluded with a detailed discussion on road network asset management for urban roads, led by Arryn McNichol, Director of Corporate and Legislative Services. Council examined how data, modeling, and staff expertise will inform future road investments and emphasized the need for clear public communication as financial decisions approach the 2025 budget.
Key Takeaways
Long-standing community fundraising efforts, like the Lions Club road tolls, continue to receive Council support.
Delhi Park is positioned as a major long-term connector for Picton, with accessibility and active transportation at the core of future planning.
The County is moving toward more data-driven, transparent decision-making on roads and infrastructure ahead of upcoming budget cycles.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:20:16. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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