Some recent updates have provided some clarity to the parcel containing Baker Park and the Mount Baker RV campground in Cranbrook, even as the long-term future remains up in the air.
Baker Park has officially been increased in size and is now legally dedicated as a park after a lengthy registration process through the Province’s Land Titles Office.
This process, which wrapped up last month also reduced the size of the RV Campground and separated both the Senior’s Centre and City’s Pressure Reducing Station (PRV) into individual lots.
Making Baker Park a dedicated park applies special consideration and protects the park, allowing the City and community to seek funding for park specific improvements.
With the legal plan registration Baker Park has formally been expanded, dedicated, and secured as legal dedicated park. By dedicating the park this section is secured as park in perpetuity unless a City Bylaw receives approval of the electors to change the status.
In addition to the park dedication, Council has approved $50,000 budget in the 2024 budget to create a Baker Park Master Plan that will bring strong public input into the future use and improvements on this land.
This public process will involve community members and stakeholder organizations to create a vision and seek partnerships and opportunities to bring them life. The City hopes to see this project start in late 2024 or early 2025.
Meanwhile, vacant land at 1505 1st Street South, near the Baker Gardens seniors housing area of the parcel, has been proposed as a location for a B.C. Builds project.
Cranbrook city council will discuss the proposal at their next city council meeting on Sept. 23, 2024.
BC Builds is a housing program, delivered by BC Housing, to speed up the development of new homes for middle-income working people throughout BC. The initiative aims to reduce barriers to new housing, by introducing regulations to allow for more mixed-use medium-density housing on City-owned land.
This housing is not within the park and does not impact the use or access to the newly increased dedicated Baker Park or the RV campground.
This proposal is consistent with the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing recommendations in creating new housing in Cranbrook.
