Surrey is moving forward with its plans to improve Hawthorne Rotary Park.
During Monday’s council meeting, the city awarded a contract of $972,736 to Action Holdings Ltd., with an expenditure limit of $1.07 million.
The contract includes the removal of the existing parking lot, existing driveway aisle, the construction of a new parking lot and improvements to the 144th Street frontage of the park.
Work is set to begin on March 5 and finish on May 15.
The city expects a portion of the park may close during the work.
The improvements are connected to the controversial 105 Avenue Connector project, which will connect City Centre to Guildford via a road through the greenspace.
The city’s justification for the connector road is to move utilities off 104 Avenue in preparation for light rail, that it’s been in the city’s Official Community Plan since 1986, and to create an east-west connector to Whalley Boulevard to 150th Street to ease traffic and reduce congestion.
See related: Emotions high after Surrey approves controversial road through Hawthorne Park
See also: VIDEO: Surrey trying to ‘engage’ protesters blocking excavators in Hawthorne Park
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In his report to city council, general manager of engineering Fraser Smith wrote that the relocation of the existing Hawthorne parking lot and removal of the driveway aisle will “improve the utilization of the park by allowing this area to be repurposed for a future playground and increasing green space by 0.5 acres.” He noted the new parking lot will be located along the 144th Street park frontage and “will include Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) elements.”
This contract is the first of three stages to improve the park, Smith’s report notes. The second stage includes the construction of a new wetland habitat feature and entry plaza, expected to begin construction in April and finish in August. The parks department expects the third and final stage to be delivered between 2018 to 2020.
In all, $5 million in “amenity enhancements” to the park are planned.
Smith notes the project also includes the city acquiring five acres of natural areas, increasing the net overall size of the park by one acre.
amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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