Enhanced playgrounds, spectacular views and even hammocks in which to relax and recline are some of the amenities being considered for northeast Coquitlam’s newest.
Riley Park will cost $3 million to build and will utilize the 3.5-acre property’s natural slope for sliding and playground features, according to a city staff report. A path will also connect the various plazas and picnic tables, making it a place “where residents can rest, play and move,” Coquitlam said in a press release.
Having hammocks installed in a park would be new for Coquitlam.
“We have not used this equipment in other parks yet,” said Andre Isakov, the city’s manager of park, planning and design. “They have been used in other parks in other cities.”
He added the hammocks are durable and made by a reputable playground supplier. They would be attached to wooden posts in a treed area of the park, giving the space a lot of shade in the summer, Isakov said.
The creation of Riley Park will require the removal of trees after an arborist determined that many of the stands on the property were in decline. Without the clusters, even the healthy trees would not be viable by themselves, according to the city, and removal was expected to occur in February 2018.
The report noted that a replanting strategy would be conducted in the northern part of the park while shrubs and ground cover would be located throughout the green space.
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