Perth-Andover Floodland Repurposing Plans Unveiled at Meeting

Posted On April 9, 2014

There was a distinct lack of enthusiasm in the air at the recent unveiling of the pictures created by the Glenn Group for possible flood land re-purposing in the village.
 
Front and centre were large images of a nine hole golf course proposed for Andover which stimulated a number of critical and testy comments. This golf course idea appears to be one of those love-hate affairs, with most local residents hating it!
 

Councillors Tommy Dixon and Dean McAllister addressed the crowd by immediately assuring everyone that nothing was written in stone, and that council is still actively soliciting community ideas and input for flood plain re-purposing.
 

They also assured the crowd that the majority will rule when it comes to making any final decisions.
 

Many people remarked that they want to see the community make use of the river that has savaged the village. The mighty St. John is our biggest threat in the spring, but it is also one of our greatest resources and we are not utilizing it.
 

Many folks said they’d like to see kayak and canoe rentals available in the village, both to attract visitors and for use by local residents. And what about paddleboats, or a pontoon boat offering river cruises?
 

A few people asked about a community garden and riverfront park…both of which actually already exist! The garden was started last year behind the bandstand just off Legion Road.
 

Proposals have also been made to utilize the flood plain in Andover as natural horticulture centre, utilizing the already existing rich diversity of resources and plants in that area. ( see articles here, here and in this issue “Repurposing Perth-Andover: The Economic Factor)”
 

If you have ideas, get engaged and get involved and tell council: This is what I want to see in my village!