City councillors are worried that proposed restrictions to save the grass at Kiwanis Park may deter festivals from setting up at the busy downtown location.

At a committee meeting on Tuesday, the city's parks department outlined its plans to save the park from years of damage.

They include park protection zones in certain areas of the park where vendors and tents would not be allowed to set up. The plan also calls for festival organizers to use load mats and plywood and restrict where heavy equipment and trucks can operate.

It also calls for on-site monitoring to make sure the rules are being followed, which could drive up costs for organizers.

Mayor Charlie Clark said events like A Taste of Saskatchewan and Ukrainian Day in the Park, which have traditionally set up in the park, are important for the city.

"I just think it's a great place to bring people together," he said.

"I think as we plan for this site we should actually think about having more opportunities for those activities as opposed to this balance between the grass."

Clark went on to wonder whether a hard surface devoted to festivals in the park might be a better idea than to leave the area as grass.

"How do we build the infrastructure in the park to meet that need, as opposed to assuming that the only way to have a park that's great is to have grass?" he said.

Concerns over grass not new

The parks department have been worried about the lawn's condition for several years.

In 2017, the city limited the park's use to A Taste of Saskatchewan and Ukrainian Day In The Park. The next year, the parks department tried to exclude all festivals in the park to allow the grass to re-grow, although that decision was deferred after the city hosted the FIBA 3x3 Basketball tournament.

The city said festivals have been very hard on the park's lawn and trees for many reasons, including a loss of irrigation during dry years and compacted earth through heavy equipment and event buildings.

Councillor Troy Davies also serves on the SaskTel Centre board, which organizes A Taste of Saskatchewan. He's worried that further restrictions will make it less likely for organizers to hold festivals.

"A lot of these groups are 100 percent volunteer time," he said.

"They're just not going to do it. Why do it? Why waste your time? I don't want it to get to that."

City exploring permanent festival site

Long-term, the city is looking at a permanent festival site in the city, which would take into account everything from water to power, staging and parking. A feasibility study for the site was approved in this year's budget.

The city has officially committed to hosting the two major festivals in 2020, but say more information is needed moving forward.

"In 2021, we're again open to that conversation," said Parks manager Darren Crilly. "It's depending on where the feasibility study lands and our future capital plan."

The parks department also said medium-term solutions like core grass, which has been set up inside the children's train track at Kinsmen Park, might be a solution.

"Embedded within the ground is this harder kind of structure that allows the grass to still grow through it and take the weight of it," said Community Services manager Lynne Lacroix.

"We'll be looking at design and development options."

The issue came up at the city's planning, development and community services committee.

Kiwanis Park is one of the best-used parks in the city, and is attached to one of the most used sections of the Meewasin Valley Authority trail. It's also home to the Vimy Memorial, built in honour of Canada's involvement in the Battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War.