Downtown Barrie - Future of Bayview Park

Not long after city council discussed the possible sale of a section of Bayview Park for a downtown development, some graffiti has been added to the property along Dunlop Street. J.T.MCVEIGH/BARRIE EXAMINER/QMI AGENCY

Bayview Park’s future could be determined Monday. 

Coun. Lynn Strachan will ask city councillors to consider rezoning the Dunlop Street East park to open space at the general committee meeting.

This could diminish, or even end, the park’s involvement with a proposed condo project at Mulcaster and Dunlop streets.

Bayview Park isn’t zoned open space, like most Barrie parkland, but for C1-1 commercial use.

City planning director Stephen Naylor says 155 Dunlop St. E. was zoned open space in 2000 when a hand-drawn map was produced on polyester film/plastic sheet.

But in 2002 when this map was digitized, the zoning changed to commercial — without a specific council motion.

Barrie’s zoning bylaw has been updated with this change and approved by council.

It’s zoning was never a particular concern until the Pier Village proposal was introduced last fall, with Bayview Park an important part.

An 11-storey condo/commercial development is proposed there with 98 residential units, almost 19,000 square feet of commercial space and 148 underground parking spots where Hooters Restaurant, Macs, Simply Tea & Chocolate, Solve — Investigative Group and Vibration Fitness now stand.

Property owner John Trecapelli wants to buy the nearest piece of Bayview Park for $600,000 and use it for his development. The park’s C1-1 zoning allows the condo project.

Trecapelli has said this project requires the use of Bayview Park, for either parking or density, to be viable.

Changing its zoning back to open space wouldn’t eliminate the possibility, but it would return its planning to square-one. If council passes Strachan’ motion, there would be a public meeting on rezoning Bayview Park to open space. If that rezoning is approved, it would have to be rezoned again to allow for any commercial/residential development — necessitating another public meeting. Bob Bruton