The Town of Conception Bay South has entered into a lease with local property owners to provide additional parking for the new community Park in Long Pond. The fully-accessible, ocean-front park is under construction and expected to open late this summer, provided no construction delays occur due to COVID-19.
“The lease agreement with Doug and Derek Greenslade will provide approximately 90 spaces designated for park users when it opens later this year,” said Mayor Darrin Bent. “The park is an exciting addition to our community and ensuring adequate parking is available to residents for this multi-purpose venue is a priority of this council.”
The two sites, which are located at 196-198 and 200-202 Conception Bay Highway respectively, will be rented, starting this month, until January 1, 2026, for $2,000 per month, at which time the agreement may be renewed. The spaces are unpaved and mostly unused. They are located between the former Avalon Club and T & T Auto on Route 60. It’s not clear in the lease if the owners will be responsible for paving the lots. However, there is a clause that the tenant, in this case the Town, “will pay the cost of all alterations, additions, or maintenance...” The Town will also pay the property taxes on the lots.
The Town has first option to buy the property, should the Greenslade brothers decide to sell it.
The park’s adjacent parking lot can be accessed off Bishops Road and has 15 parking spaces.
The leased lot, which is a three-to four-minute walk to the park along Route 60 and then down Bishop’s Road next to Dominion Supermarket, or straight along Route 60 to the park entrance between Dominion and Jungle Jim’s Restaurant, means that more than 100 spaces have been made available for parking. The lease also allows the Town to designate more accessible parking.
The Town is continuing to look at the best parking solutions to ensure safety for families and visitors accessing the park, noted a town spokesperson.
The lease was approved by council at the public meeting on December 21 and a copy is available on the Town’s website.
The park will include a playground and a dual-recreational, year-round surface, consisting of a splash pad in summer and ice-skating surface in winter. The park will have washrooms and change rooms, walking trails, a performance stage, and lighting.
Provided there are no unforeseen supply chain issues due to Covid-19, the splash pad will be ready for use this summer and the ice surface ready for commissioning next winter, said the spokesperson.
The park has been funded jointly by the federal government and the Province, which are each contributing $1 million, and the Town, which is spending $2.3 million for a total cost of $4.3 million.
