McLennan Park lawn fenced off as summer-like weather arrives

Work at McLennan Park stretches into second summer From CTV Kitchener’s Nicole Lampa: Remediation work at a busy Kitchener park will take longer to complete than first believed.

McLennan Park was supposed to be back to normal by now.

A large section of the park, including the main lawn and the splash pad, was fenced off for much of 2017 so a methane issue could be dealt with.

Methane had been building up in the drainage system of the park, which sits on top of a former landfill, for several years. The issue was discovered in 2014, during preparations for a music festival. The ground as dug up, and wood chips were put down as a temporary solution.

Last year’s remediation work was expected to provide a more permanent fix, and be complete in time for a full year of enjoyment of the park in 2018.

Coun. Paul Singh says the work was delayed due to uncooperative weather and unforeseen circumstances. Even the planned start of work this spring had to be pushed back due to the effects of the April ice storm.

“I think the residents do understand that what happened were unforeseen circumstances, and we’ve tried to do the best we can,” he said Wednesday.

Russ Krokoszynski, who uses the park regularly and was there on Wednesday, said he was surprised the gas had become a problem at all, because he believed all methane-related issues had been dealt with long in the past.

“We’ve been disappointed with the fact that it isn’t ready to go,” he said.

According to Singh, hydroseeding of the main lawn will take place this spring. Most of the park will remain accessible during this process, but fencing will remain around the lawn.

Singh said he hoped the fencing could be moved in slightly by June to allow use of the new trail surrounding the main lawn.

“We have to do something with the fence,” he said.

The total cost of the remediation work has been pegged at $2.6 million. About $1.5 million of that is being paid by the city, and $1.1 million by the Region of Waterloo, which owns the land.

With reporting by Nicole Lampa