Wellington Rotary Beach Revitalization

Thank you for taking the Wellington Rotary Beach Revitalization Survey. This survey will walk you through three key design concepts for the beach that were developed by a group of 25 community stakeholders, with help from a team of landscape architects. 

We encourage you to read more about the concepts below, then scroll down to jump right in and tell us how you feel about each of the concepts!

BIG MOVE

The ‘Big Move’ concept represents a picture of how the beach could be developed over a longer period of time with significant financial investment and major infrastructure improvements. This includes:

• Reconstruction of the road and boardwalk to minimize the impacts of the rising lake levels
• Locating paid parking on the north side of the road
• Constructing a new pedestrian bridge to Belleville Street to create a connected pedestrian walking loop
• Constructing new, centralized, all season buildings to house park facilities as well as vendors/concessions. 

This concept focuses on ‘active’ beach uses and vehicular activity within the west zone while maintaining access to boating activities within the east zone. An access gate between the two zones is meant to help limit vehicular traffic to this portion of the park during the busiest times of the year. However, pedestrian access will continue to flow throughout the park year-round.

The labels on the diagram include:

FACILITIES:

1. Centralized location with new structure for seasonal concessions, new building with washrooms and changerooms and entrance control booth
2. Picnic pavilion/bandshell

BOATING

3. Control booth/ gate to boat launch (in peak season)
4. Canoe/kayak storage and lockers
5. New/updated boat launch
6. New dock/tie-up along canal
7. Parking = trailers (8), vehicles (16)

ACCESS AND PARKING

8. New sidewalk on west side of Beach Street
9. "Pay and display" parking on North side of road
10. Re-built road at slightly higher grade elevation
11. New drop-off/turnaround area
12. New wider boardwalk at slightly higher grade elevation
13. New walkway to lighthouse
14. New pedestrian bridge connection. Lift bridge or arched bridge design

LANDSCAPE

15. High branching native trees and low dune grasses
16. Bird-watching platforms

TWEAK

The ‘Tweak’ concept represents a picture of how the park could be improved in the immediate and interim time frame, with less financial investment and infrastructure improvements. This includes:

• Reconstruction of the road and boardwalk to minimize the impacts of the rising lake levels
• Moving vehicle parking to a central location that also serves as a drop-off / turnaround
• Providing new structures to house vendors / concession
• Re-organizing the boat launch area to provide some trailer parking while re-naturalizing the area on the beach side with native and dune plantings

This concept maintains all of the existing infrastructure in the beach, while re-organizing circulation and parking to prioritize pedestrian movement and experiences. The looped walkway network includes a sidewalk along Beach Street, a raised boardwalk along the beach and trails within the wooded areas. Additionally, existing gravel driveways and parking areas are replaced with naturalized landscaping at the east end of the park and on-street parking is re-instated along Wellington Main Street. An alternative design for the ‘Tweak’ concept has no structures for vendors / concessions in the central are; these are to be seasonal / non-permanent structures located on the north side of the parking / drop-off area. In addition, the launch area includes a new canoe / kayak storage facility along with an upgraded boat launch.

The labels on the diagram include:

FACILITIES:

1. Maintain existing control/entrance gates
2. Restore existing washrooms
3. Maintain existing picnic pavilion
4. Upgrade existing changerooms
5. Concessions

BOATING

6. New canoe/kayak launch, storage and lockers
7. Existing launch for motorized boats
8. Parking - trailers (10)

ACCESS AND PARKING

9. New sidewalk on west side of Beach Street
10. On-street parking on Main Street
11. Angled parking
12. Raised boardwalk
13. Replace Eastern section road with trails and maintenance access only
14. Signalized intersection at Main St and Belleville St
15. Left turn lane from Main Street

LANDSCAPE

16. High-branching native trees and low dune grasses
17. Naturalized and restore the dune landscape

NATURALIZE

The ‘Naturalize’ concept represents a picture of how the beach could be developed as a natural environment where vehicle access is strictly limited to access and drop-off only. The concept contains elements that may be implemented in the immediate term and over the longer time frame, with modest to significant financial investment. This includes:

• Narrowing of the road
• Removal of the existing washrooms and the construction of new shade pavilions along the boardwalk
• The most significant elements of this concept are the pedestrian bridge crossing of the channel to connect to Belleville Street and the introduction of a shuttle to connect to off-site parking facilities. 

This concept focuses on the natural environment and the facilities and activities that fit within and complement this environment. Most importantly, it seeks to restore a naturalized dune landscape.

The labels on the diagram include:

FACILITIES:

1. New, larger building including entrance/control gate, 4-season washrooms and new low-stone wall to delineate private/public area
2. Upgrade existing change rooms
3. Remove existing washrooms. Replace with seasonal washrooms
4. New shade structures

BOATING

5. Canoe/kayak storage
6. Existing launch for non-motorized boats only

ACCESS AND PARKING

7. Signage and low-stone wall at Main Street and Beach Street
8. Shared multi-use trail
9. Shuttle "stop" for off-site parking users
10. Continuous boardwalk
11. Walkway to lighthouse (reinforced design)
12. New pedestrian bridge connection (lift bridge or arched bridge design)

ACCESS AND PARKING

13. Indigenous gathering circle
14. Naturalized/dune landscape