Elizabeth St. park sale no-go

By Mike Williscraft
NewsNow

Lincoln council has put its money where its collective mouth is when it comes to preserving the municipality’s green space, voting to maintain ownership of its Elizabeth Street Park.

There was some consideration of a sale when the site came up as a result of a surplus land review in combination with the new, 10-acre Prokich Park coming online.

“After a closed session (May 10), council reaffirmed its commitment to not selling Elizabeth Street or any park for that matter – as per our

Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan,” said CAO Mike Kirkopoulos.

Kirkopoulos said there was a series of factors which have been considered by council to preserve the space, including:

• For community leaders, there has never been a better time than now to focus energy and investment on parks. High-quality green spaces and access to nature should be available and easily accessible for everyone;

• Parks are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in a community;

• They provide identity for citizens and are a major factor in the perception of quality of life in a given community. Parks are often cited as one of the most important factors in surveys of how livable a community is;

• Parks have a value to communities that transcend the amount of dollars invested or the revenues gained from potential sale of lands. Parks provide a sense of public pride and cohesion to every community;

• As communities become more densely populated and concern about the impact of climate changes increases, planners, elected officials and community advocates are looking to parks and their potential to help address critical urban infrastructure and public health issues. Parks are now recognized as powerful tools for communities and local economies, and;

•With changing populations, socio-economic characteristics, economic development priorities and recreational trends, ensuring our park system remains relevant and attractive, equitably distributed and accessible, leveraged to build social, economic, and environmental value and adequately funded is a top priority. Today, more than ever, it is essential that limited resources are directed to initiatives, such as parkland development and retention, that will yield the biggest benefits to our community.

“The Town continues to invest in parks and green spaces so that they can be enjoyed by Lincoln residents and visitors for many generations,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton.