Skateboarding at Riverwalk Commons is not permitted under the town’s parks bylaw, but that hasn’t stopped the activity from ramping up.
To address what Newmarket bylaw says is a concerning trend, new signage will be installed in the downtown space to remind skateboarders of the rules.
The 10,000-square-foot indoor Sk8 Park at Newmarket’s youth centre on Charles Street remains closed until further notice to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The town, meanwhile, is in the process of designing its first outdoor skate park that will be located outside the Magna Centre on Mulock Drive. You can offer your feedback on the design here.
As Newmarket began reopening its economy just less than one month ago as part of Ontario’s stage 2 plan, formal complaints related to COVID-19 continue to fall to single digits in all categories tracked by the bylaw unit, including parks and businesses.
Only resident concerns about physical distancing remained steady at seven complaints for the week of July 6 to 12, up from six the week before, and three the previous week.
Bylaw officers also continue a slow return to business as usual with a focus on enforcing parking restrictions, as well as adding property standard duties back onto their schedules, a spokesperson said.
Education remains key on the public health measures of physical distancing and social gatherings (limited to 10 people), as zero tickets were issued to residents under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Tickets for flouting the rules start at $750.
Parking enforcement on Main Street, however, resulted in seven tickets being issued from July 6 to 12, up from five the week before.
No warnings were given to drivers for the past two weeks. Since May 9, a temporary 30-minute parking limit has been in effect to help merchants struggling during the pandemic to offer curbside pickup and delivery. That measure continues until Sept. 21 and will be re-evaluated by council.
Here is a by-the-numbers look at Newmarket bylaw’s proactive patrols from July 6 to 12:
- 65 park patrols conducted (109 previous week, 134 before that)
- 654 interactions/observations (1,221 previous week, 1,539 before that)
- 14 warnings through public education/voluntary compliance (32 previous week, 39 before that).
