Cobourg council tackles parks, rec plan, LTC build, 202 Second St. proposals in 11-hour meeting

Cobourg council met for 11 hours during its July summer session of council. /Sarah Hyatt photo

By Natalie Hamilton

From approval on the contentious parks and recreation master plan, to quashing a long-term care build proposal, deferring a decision on the controversial 202 Second St. condominium development and more, Cobourg council has been busy.

With a jam-packed agenda, numerous delegations, presentations and lengthy debates, Cobourg’s recent summer session of council carried on from early afternoon until after the clock struck midnight.

During the 11-hour open session of council, politicians, staff and residents gathered in council chambers at Victoria Hall or tuned into the livestream of the meeting, which ran from July 22 to 23.

Council made decisions on a few key projects that were, and continue to be, of high community interest. The West Northumberland Independent is summarizing a few of those decisions and intends to explore these stories in greater detail.

PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN:

Council ultimately passed Cobourg’s parks and recreation master plan, along with the parks and recreation master plan task force’s recommendations.

The parks and recreation master plan is intended to guide the planning, development, management, and enhancement of Cobourg’s parks, trails, recreation facilities, and programs over the next decade. The town engaged Thinc Design, a Toronto-based landscape architecture and planning firm, in 2025 to help with the document that provides both short- and long-term guidance on the mentioned planning, development, management, and enhancement of the town’s recreation facilities, programs, parks, and open spaces. Throughout the consultation process, there was heavy resident engagement, meeting attendees heard.

The first draft of the document, which was shared in late May, became controversial because of contents relating to people who are struggling with homelessness and/or substance use. Many took issue with this language included in the document, questioning its place in a parks master plan, while others described the draft plan as having a compassionate tone around homelessness and encampment use in public parks. The draft document included a recommendation around installing safe syringe disposal bins in parks, as one example.

In contrast, the final plan driven by council changes suggested the town “provide additional clear signage guiding residents on how to report illegal drug use, nuisance activity or unauthorized camping or lodging and nuisance gatherings.”

Broken into four categories and including 175 recommendations, points include increasing accessibility in the town’s playgrounds, enhancing trail connections in central Cobourg, maintaining an ongoing tree planting program to replace aging trees in existing parks, and protecting shoreline ecology.

Capital project recommendations included considering a new pool if the YMCA Cobourg’s proposed new facility doesn’t provide one by 2028, exploring a new skate park and engaging youth in its design and necessary fundraising efforts, and more.

The parks and recreation master plan is available via EngageCobourg.ca.

660 KERR ST. W. LONG-TERM CARE BUILD:

Council reviewed information related to the proposal for the construction of a new long-term care home at 660 Kerr St. W.

The building proposal included 256 beds and 164 parking spaces, with the structure four-storeys high.

After receiving both concerns and support for the project through speakers and correspondence, council considered a motion to refer the report back to staff to undertake a supplementary traffic analysis and work with the applicant to explore a reconfigured site design. That motion was defeated.

Ultimately, council ended up turning down staff’s recommendation to adopt an amendment to the Town of Cobourg’s official plan to make changes to the designation of the land and amend a bylaw that would permit the project to move forward at this time.

202 SECOND ST. CONDOMINIUM:

Council considered a staff report about a developer’s proposal to build a mixed-used, eight-storey building at 202 Second St.

There were dozens of items of resident correspondence and several in-person delegations about the build, which proposed a condominium with 184 residential units and 2,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.  

Planning staff from the town in its report recommended council approve changes to the official plan and authorize zoning bylaw amendments that would ultimately permit the project to move further ahead.

Straight out of the gate, council heard a delegation from a representative of the project asking council to consider referring the application until 2027 to accommodate further consultation with businesses and the broader public to provide clarity on the proposed development application.

Council then listened to delegations made by numerous citizens who voiced concerns about the height of the building, the impact on the town’s current skyline and appeal of Cobourg’s historic downtown, and more.

Council ultimately passed a motion to refer the report and recommendation to 2027 at the request of the 202 Second. St. property owners.