Kincardine council got its first look at the final draft of the Waterfront Master Plan at Monday's meeting.
The plan is meant to guide improvements along the waterfront over the long term. Put together by pl.ural, a rural design planning practice, the plan was developed over the last year and featured input from 526 individuals, including 438 permanent residents.
While council voted to receive the draft plan, Mayor Ken Craig reminds residents that it doesn't mean any changes are coming in the short-term.
"Council received this, which means, yes we agree with the concept. Yes, we will begin to utilize this as a framework. No, we have not established a budget. No, we have not established a timeline," said Craig. "But we have afforded us the opportunity to continue a conversation with out landscape architect to upgrade as recreational practices evolve. In 20 years, we'll be looking at the beach differently than we do now."
The plan is short on details for future built or landscape projects. Instead it's "a set of planning strategies that define intent, but not final form." Those strategies include identifying which assets along the waterfront should be preserved and which need to be upgraded, like the boardwalk.
"There was really no particular path identified. We'll ultimately land somewhere in the midst of where (planner) Sean Kelly offered those options," said Craig. "Our beachfront does not lend itself to a 180-degree turn. We're not going to do anything significantly different than what's there now."
Council approved spending $60,000 for the development of the plan in last year's budget. It says the plan arrived on time and on budget.
To view the full Waterfront Master Plan, visit here.
