Roy Duncan Park - New Basketball Key
What we heard
Thank you to everyone that provided their input on the new basketball key options for the Roy Duncan Park.
Based on the feedback received from the pool and open house (held on February 13th), option A received most of the votes and the project team will proceed with the preferred option. You can access the final concept plan and images of the new basketball key in the Document Library on the right side of the page.
In response to the comments posted to the guestbook and provided by email, please find below the following:
- The basket location can be moved to the North-East side, so players don’t get the sun in their eyes when shooting the ball.
- The open play area to the East will still be available for soccer and other play opportunities.
- The surface for the basketball key will follow the City of Ottawa Standards and consider durability and maintenance.
- The existing stonewall will be providing seating opportunities.
- A basketball key is too small to fit a multi-purpose pickleball court.
- Fencing around the basketball court and echo barriers are excluded from the project’s scope.
- Lighting is out of the project’s scope. Playing after the sun sets is not encouraged, since it might be disturbing for some neighbours.
Following the completion of the public tender process, an update regarding the construction timeline will be provided to the councillor, Jeff Leiper, and posted to Engage Ottawa. Construction is anticipated in the fall of 2023 and will probably continue in spring/summer of 2024.
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The City of Ottawa is looking for your feedback on a Basketball key addition to Roy Duncan Park at 295 Churchill Avenue, in ward 15 Kitchissippi.
The location of the new key was chosen so that it would be distanced from the playground and splash pad and positioned so that it won’t take up all the open space on the grass field. It needs to be located into the park sufficiently to prevent missed shots from going over the fence and with sufficient room to make the slope to the court accessible via a not-too-steep pathway.
The layout of Concept A is done on a north-south axis. This is a good orientation to avoid shooting into the setting sun (for most shots). On the plan, the upright is placed on the “uphill” end of the site to minimize the chance of the ball rolling downhill (toward the north). Placing the hoop on the north end of the key would work as well, but with some ball chasing.
Concept B provides a little harder surface area to incorporate the existing stone wall as a place to sit. The upright could be placed on the west end or the east end.
The new basketball feature includes an upright, backboard and hoop (see photo below). It is placed on asphalt pavement and sized to the City of Ottawa standards for a basketball key. The layout is based on the “key” of a regulation basketball court, used for foul shots. A key is appropriate for basketball players to practice their shots and play “one-on-one” or in groups.
You can find the two concept layouts in the document library on the right.
Please take the quick pool below to share your preferred concept. You can also share your comments in the Guestbook.
We think Option B, and placed closer to the rocks and the fence will leave more level ground for the kids to play soccer. The basket would be better placed at the other end, so that they will be facing east when shooting. The children will be playing after school and the afternoon sun will be in their eyes when shooting under both options. Then there is the Thump Thump noise of the ball. A few of the neighbours along Churchill have complained on the Thump Thump noise when playing on Mortimer Private. We would like a surface that would mitigate the noise. However if durability and maintenance is a factor to be considered, could an echo barrier part way along the fence on the west and south side be studied.
The orientation of Option A is correct but the hoop needs to be at the opposite side so that the kids aren't shooting into the sun. If flipped, then the players are facing North East when shooting, and unlikely to be blinded by the sun.
also should install a large board behind the net, steel net and have the court lit for evening use. Its far better to have our youth play basketball at night than committing crimes or becoming addicts. Do not listen to the "Karens" in the suburbs, this is an innercity neighborhood and our youth will benefit from sports in the evening.
both options appear to take the whole greenspace. Could it be located on one side or the other so you can fit in a small soccer pitch as well. Its a popular field for soccer. Also needs a higher fence around the basketball court to keep the ball inside, also more benches around the court. A multi-purpose court with Pickleball court lines so it can be used for pickleball in the daytime while youth are in school. Recommend you review the basketball court rehabilition at Plouffe Park for that feedback.