Passive park design being proposed for Kin Race Track lands  

The green space adjacent to Vernon’s new recreation centre could become a passive park.

That’s according to City of Vernon staff, who are proposing this park style that would include children’s play opportunities, walking trails and pathways, a fences dog park, a main entrance plaza, a toboggan berm, washroom facilities, space for community markets, flexible event space on both flat and sloped lawn areas, and an open space designed to function as both a dry pond for drainage and a grass turf area for informal soccer.

“In this context, “passive park” refers to a high-level approach that recognizes the site’s significant constraints particularly the limited feasibility for athletic fields or civic buildings while prioritizing the protection and enhancement of natural systems, including habitat conservation and stormwater management,” the city staff report stated.

It went on to say there were also a number of factors that needed to be considered for developing this 9.5 hectare parcel of land including a high groundwater table, existing wetlands, well-established surface draining patterns, and drainage for the ALC.