Town of Cobourg Waterfront User Needs Assessment & Detailed Design Plan

Mehak, Kelly teamed with thinc design to develop a design needs and implementation plan for Cobourg’s waterfront. Through an extensive community consultation process, stakeholder interviews, and resident and business surveys the community’s vision for the waterfront was confirmed and refined into a series of projects and plans as a next step in implementing the Town’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The consultation program included: a resident survey with 2,000 respondents; an interactive, all-day design charrette; three public open houses; twenty-one interviews with Councillors and municipal staff; twenty-six stakeholder meetings; steering committee meetings throughout the process.
Key issues addressed in the final plan for Cobourg include the potential to expand the municipality’s marina, an improved municipal campground, the impact of tourism, boat storage, upgraded pier and park spaces, naturalization of the west beach and headland, and opportunities to better connect the downtown to the waterfront. The plan identifies 83 waterfront, park and marina improvements organized into 24 projects. Design drawings, cost estimates and an implementation strategy provide the details necessary for Council and staff to make the community’s vision for their waterfront a reality.