Ongoing complaints about stunting, squealing tires, excessive noise, littering and large groups of people loitering late at night in the parking lot of the North Ridge Centennial Community Centre (NRCCC) have prompted Martensville City Council to take stronger measures to deal with the problem.
Council voted unanimously at its meeting on Tuesday, June 20 to install double-swing gates at the two entrances to the NRCCC paved parking lot from 3rd Street North.
Council voted to award a contract in the amount of $27,750 for manufacturing and installing the gates to Dymark Industries of Saskatoon. Posts for the swinging metal gates will be installed to a depth of 12 feet below grade, which is below the frost line, to ensure their stability over time.
In addition to the gates, which will each have a padlock, a barrier of large rocks will be placed along the edge of the gravel-surface parking lot to prevent vehicles from accessing the paved lot.
The gates, slated to be installed this summer, will be locked during the evening hours when the NRCCC and Martensville Aquatic Centres are not open or rented out to user groups.
The city’s Recreation and Community Services staff will be responsible for managing the locking and unlocking of the gates based on events and activities at the NRCCC and the Martensville Aquatic Centre.
The goal, according to a report from the city administration to the June 20 council meeting, is to control access to the parking lot to prevent ongoing cleanliness and neighbourhood complaint issues.