Monday, July 16, 2007 Council okays P400-million Burnham Park plan
THE Baguio City Council has approved for implementation the Burnham Park landscaping and preservation plan worth P400 million.
Submitted by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo) and endorsed by the Burnham Park Management Authority (BPMA), the plan spells out development directions for each of the 12 areas within the park.
Since the plan would require P400 million to implement all the proposed improvement projects, the City Council decided that project implementation would be done on a piecemeal basis with the Children Park to be prioritized, costing P6 million as certified available by the Local Finance Committee.
As explained by Cepmo officer-in-charge Cordelia Lacsamana and acting Burnham Park superintendent Josephine Chan, the plan provides a description of the proposed activities within the park.
For the children's playground, there is the proposed construction of gazebo in the entrance, improvement of bicycle pavilions and freeway, trellis for a shade area, installation of interesting child friendly playground equipment and construction of an extreme sport area, graffiti wall and skateboard area.
Chan said the BPMA has prepared the detailed plan for the improvement of the park.
City Administrator Peter Fianza, BPMA action officer, said the park management approved the conceptualized plan in accordance with Executive Order 224, which transferred the management of the Burnham Park to the City Government.
He said the order also directs the formulation of a master development plan to be approved by the City Council, which means that no project can be implemented in the park without a master development plan.
Landscaping and preservation plan would serve as the first step of the master development park for the Burnham Park.
As per the plan, the proposed activities for the other cluster areas are as follows:
* Rose Garden -- proposal for setting up of trellis, rose vines and flowers and construction of a senior citizen's park to be located at the upper portion of the Rose Garden;
* Orchidarium -- proposal for landscaping arrangements in the area and flower exhibit area for concessionaires to attract visitors and tourists and green houses;
* Igorot Garden -- to be maintained as a chess and dama area; landscaping and improvement of the ihaw-ihaw and restaurants to keep up with tourism standards;
* Burnham Lake area -- landscaping, ornamental and flower gardens, lake gardens, seedling nursery, uniform boat jetties for concessionaires and the plan to demolish the view deck;
* Melvin Jones grandstand and football field -- proposal for another parking area at the back of the Solibao Restaurant;
* Skating Rink -- preserve skating rink kiosk and improvement of the benches around;
* Picnic Grove -- eliminate parking, loading and unloading of vehicles, plant additional pine trees;
* Athletic Bowl -- improve the grandstand extending it to the tennis area and underneath will be converted into offices, bathroom and athlete's shower areas;
* Japanese Peace Tower area -- preservation of the area.
* Pines Trees of the World area -- plant additional pine trees, re-greening of the area; and
* Sunshine Park -- known as "Freedom Park" and improve the existing gazebo and flowering plants area.
Chan said the plan is anchored on the community goals for the Burnham Park as follows: Making the park safe, clean and pedestrian friendly; economic activities are regulated and consistent with the pertinent environment development controls; beautification activities and maintenance of flora and fauna; installation of aesthetically sound utility support; and infrastructure is limited to basic utilities and maintenance of access roads, pathways for the promotions of public safety.
The plan is also based on the development concepts of the Burnham Park: To protect the park's natural environment and restore the attractiveness of the park as a nature inspired tourism site; to preserve the area as cherished cultural heritage which is significant historically and as an important land mark by adopting development sensitive to environmental suitability for relaxation and recreational activities; to be sustained as an environmental showcase and oasis to serve as refuge from chaos of the city/central business district despite proposals for development and change and balance the old charm and modern facilities compatible to the remaining vital recollections to retain as many of the original features of the park; to restore the appearance and facilities of the existing park before embarking of a more costly investment; and to sustain and enhance aesthetically the historical value of the park and focus on the general scope of work which is an improvement plan, upgrading, sustaining and retaining as many features and natural systems and removal of traffic from the park.
Lacsamana said the concept plan would be subject to further technical, feasibility analysis, architectural and engineering design based of the 12 concepts formulated in order to transform the Burnham Park into a world-class tourist destination. (AR)
