Mitchell's Bay Beach and Park Site Plan

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent invites residents to provide their comments and feedback on the conceptual Mitchell's Bay Beach & Park Site Plan.

Locations

Mitchell’s Bay Beach is a popular seasonal destination for area residents, offering opportunities for swimming and relaxation. The 2.4‑hectare site includes a beachfront, playground equipment, a splash pad, washroom building, a large parking lot, and supporting amenities and greenspace.

Adjacent to the beach, Mitchell’s Bay Community Park is a 5‑hectare local park featuring two large pavilions, a playground, a walking trail, a washroom building, unpaved parking, and a large open space used for special events.

What is a Park Site Plan?

A Park Site Plan provides a long‑term planning framework for how a park should function and develop over time. It identifies the desired layout of amenities, infrastructure needs, recreational considerations, and how the space will serve the community, ensuring future improvements are intentional and coordinated rather than reactive.

A site plan supports infrastructure planning by guiding the location of upgrades and replacements, as well as financial planning by helping Council and local fundraising groups forecast capital costs while aligning investments with priority needs. They create a shared vision for park stakeholders, and support priority‑setting by clearly identifying projects most impactful to its users. The development of site plans for priority municipal parks was recommended in the 2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan to help ensure consistent, transparent, and sustainable park development across Chatham-Kent.

The preliminary concept site plan will be developed into a final version which will also include cost estimates for the overall site plan, as well as individual location elements and proposed features.

Community Input and Conceptual Plan

A community workshop was held on October 14, 2025 to help develop the initial concept design. Background information and goals for the site plan were presented, with the municipality seeking feedback from the community members to aid in the development of the site plan. The Resident Engagement Presentation boards presented at the workshop are available for reference. Some of the priorities discussed and captured in the conceptual plan include:

  • More open space in the beach area
  • Beautification of shoreline
  • Larger washroom building
  • Expanded splash pad area
  • Picnic space and walking trails at beach
  • New playground equipment
  • Open green/special event space at community park
  • Pickleball court

Additional considerations for the site plan included:

  • Site access, visibility, and movement for various user groups.
  • A plan for facilities renovation and/or expansion.
  • Flexible redevelopment and phasing options.

What are the next steps?

Comments and feedback on the conceptual site plan will inform a final design to be brought to Municipal Council in the future for approval and long-term funding consideration.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent invites residents to provide their comments and feedback on the conceptual Mitchell's Bay Beach & Park Site Plan.

Locations

Mitchell’s Bay Beach is a popular seasonal destination for area residents, offering opportunities for swimming and relaxation. The 2.4‑hectare site includes a beachfront, playground equipment, a splash pad, washroom building, a large parking lot, and supporting amenities and greenspace.

Adjacent to the beach, Mitchell’s Bay Community Park is a 5‑hectare local park featuring two large pavilions, a playground, a walking trail, a washroom building, unpaved parking, and a large open space used for special events.

What is a Park Site Plan?

A Park Site Plan provides a long‑term planning framework for how a park should function and develop over time. It identifies the desired layout of amenities, infrastructure needs, recreational considerations, and how the space will serve the community, ensuring future improvements are intentional and coordinated rather than reactive.

A site plan supports infrastructure planning by guiding the location of upgrades and replacements, as well as financial planning by helping Council and local fundraising groups forecast capital costs while aligning investments with priority needs. They create a shared vision for park stakeholders, and support priority‑setting by clearly identifying projects most impactful to its users. The development of site plans for priority municipal parks was recommended in the 2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan to help ensure consistent, transparent, and sustainable park development across Chatham-Kent.

The preliminary concept site plan will be developed into a final version which will also include cost estimates for the overall site plan, as well as individual location elements and proposed features.

Community Input and Conceptual Plan

A community workshop was held on October 14, 2025 to help develop the initial concept design. Background information and goals for the site plan were presented, with the municipality seeking feedback from the community members to aid in the development of the site plan. The Resident Engagement Presentation boards presented at the workshop are available for reference. Some of the priorities discussed and captured in the conceptual plan include:

  • More open space in the beach area
  • Beautification of shoreline
  • Larger washroom building
  • Expanded splash pad area
  • Picnic space and walking trails at beach
  • New playground equipment
  • Open green/special event space at community park
  • Pickleball court

Additional considerations for the site plan included:

  • Site access, visibility, and movement for various user groups.
  • A plan for facilities renovation and/or expansion.
  • Flexible redevelopment and phasing options.

What are the next steps?

Comments and feedback on the conceptual site plan will inform a final design to be brought to Municipal Council in the future for approval and long-term funding consideration.

Page last updated: 15 May 2026, 08:22 AM