The Town of Cobourg is inviting residents to have their say on the issue of waterfront parking through Engage Cobourg.
This project is intended to gather residents' feedback on the new parking regulations implemented last May in Cobourg's waterfront parking areas – the implementation of the new regulations, set rates, signage and the potential expanded availability of the waterfront season pass to non-residents.
Survey results will be announced at council's Feb. 21 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
The changes made last year were informed by recommendations made in the 2014 Parking Study and the 2021 Beach Use Survey. In 2021, when council asked the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to receive input on how the popularity of the beach could be managed (and impacts from high visitor volumes mitigated), the Engage Cobourg Beach Use survey was launched. Data received helped guide planning for the post-pandemic period, following two summers of the beach being fenced off.
With the support of the Waterfront Working Group, survey comments were reviewed and and summarized list of recommendations presented to council last January. From the 1,688 responses, two major themes emerged – implementing a resident parking pass for the waterfront, and increasing parking fees to offset the cost of infrastructure, beach maintenance and staffing requirements.
Residents who would like a say on future planning can register at EngageCobourg.ca and click on the Register Today! button. The town also encourages residents to create a profile on-line and participate in other current public-engagement projects.