As far as public spaces go in the city of Kingston, City Park is likely one of the most popular. But as events at the venue become successful, things like overcrowding, traffic congestion and limiting the ordinary use of the park have become a concern for some city councillors.
Last Tuesday at council, Peter Stroud, councillor for Sydenham district, where City Park is also situated, put forth a motion to “review the special events policy with the intent to identify specific criteria and parks that can properly accommodate events with larger crowds and significant logistical needs.”
The motion also says this review will help accommodate large crowds more efficiently, take advantage of more venues around the city, deal with traffic congestion around the city park, and minimize neighbourhood disruptions.
Yet Portsmouth district Coun. Liz Schell says restricting the number of events that take place at City Park might not be a popular option with event organizers.
Global News spoke with organizers of Artfest and Woman’s Art Fest, two events that have taken place at City Park. They say they enjoy the venue and hope they can continue to operate from it. They say they love how large the space it is and the number of amenities it offers. They add that it would be inconvenient to re-configure their events for a different venue.
For now, council passed a motion to look at ways to identify criteria and parks in the city for better management of large events.
City staff will be returning to council with a report in the new year.
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