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A facelift is scheduled for downtown Keremeos.
It was announced late last week that Keremeos received a $100,000 Ministry of Forests’ Rural Dividend grant to start the implementation of a downtown visual enhancement project. “Investing in rural communities is investing in the future,” Keremeos Mayor Manfred Bauer said following Monday’s council meeting when asked about the project.
The scope of the project will include everything from developing a more comprehensive revitalization plan to creating a downtown pocket park or making metal fences and boarded up windows more visually appealing. “We really want to stress to the public that there is going to be a lot of opportunity for public input on all of this,” Marg Coulson the villages CAO said. “We want to hear from people what they think about this. This is their community. The pocket park for example, we will probably hold several public consults on just that.”
Other projects part of the funding include updating theme and design guidelines for downtown, gateway signage, message pole location and design, development of a Keremeos Art Walk, and local information heritage plaques. Keremeos also received a $10,000 Rural Dividend grant to create a plan to attract and retain businesses and residents. The village also received $24,450 grant from the Canada 150 fund to improve accessibility/inclusivity at the playground in Memorial Park. The project includes creating accessible pathways and inclusive play and music stations beside the playground. Work is expected to start April 1.
There was ideas at one time to of re-engineering and upgrading the splash park but funding was out of reach as engineering fees and Interior Health requirements have caused the cost of splash parks to soar over $200,000, a release from the village stated.
Coulson said public consult sessions will start sometime after May as the majority of the projects will run from May of this year to May 2018.