Accessibility upgrades to the Cumberland Village Park family area will receive a boost, after Village council approved up to $26,000 in extra funding for the park’s refurbishment project at its Sept. 5 meeting.
The funding increase brings the total capital budget for the park’s accessibility upgrades to $66,780. The extra funding approved by council on Sept. 5 will come from the Village’s Parks Development Cost Charges reserve fund, which has a current balance of $328,000.
Upgrades will include installing a new concrete walkway connecting Dunsmuir Avenue to the playground, an accessible picnic table and an accessible drinking fountain. The park will also receive a lawn basin and storm lead in response to drainage issues related to the spray park.
According to Village of Cumberland parks and outdoor recreation co-ordinator Kevin McPhedran, the extra funding is needed for two additional accessible parking spaces next to the park on Dunsmuir Avenue. He said the scope of the project’s work has increased since its budget was initially established.
“The overarching goal [of the upgrades] is to improve the accessibility of the park and at the same time, improve the aesthetics and functionality of it as well,” said McPhedran. “We did some planning and design work, assembled some estimates and budgets, and then changed the scope of work a little bit in the interests of improving the accessible parking situation.”
The project will be funded by both the Village of Cumberland and the federal government, which supplied $24,890 through its Enabling Accessibility grant program.
AFC Construction Co. in Courtenay will undertake the refurbishment project, after answering a Request for Quotation issued by the Village in July. McPhedran said construction will begin this fall.