KINGSTON – Visitors to Breakwater Park, regardless of the time of day, need to exercise common sense and take personal responsibility for their safety, the city’s mayor said.

When asked about a citizens petition calling for the Gord Edgar Downie Pier to be closed at night for safety reasons, Mayor Bryan Paterson said it will be up to the city’s administrative policies committee to hear the request, gather information from the petition’s supporters and city staff and, if needed, forward recommendations to city council for consideration.

The petition’s author, Phillip Brown, said late-night partying on the pier is creating a dangerous mix of alcohol and deep water and he said a drowning is a real possibility.

Paterson agreed that steps should be taken to increase safety at the pier, but he stopped short of endorsing a nighttime closure.

“It’s a good problem, in that the pier is being used so much, but considerations around safety and making sure it is used respectfully, those are important considerations,” said Paterson, who added that city staff are looking at ways to improve safety at the pier, including increased security patrols or the installation of security cameras.

But Paterson said he could not think of a precedent at any other city park that could be used to support closing the pier at night.

“You’re always concerned that people are acting responsibly and not putting themselves or other people in danger, but at the same time it is a little bit difficult to police the many kilometres of waterfront that we have,” Paterson said. “There are a number of spots where people will go down and spend time near the water, even at night.”

Paterson said the city’s waterfront master plan, endorsed by city council in early 2016, was written with the intention of drawing people closer to the more than 200 kilometres of shoreline in the city.

“There is an implicit understanding that that requires some level of personal responsibility and common sense that people understand the waterfront is something to be enjoyed but also something that needs to be respected and you have to be careful with,” Paterson said.

“There is personal responsibility and common sense that are required. And that is not just to do with the waterfront, that is if you are crossing the street or enjoying other parts of the community. I think it is the right move to encourage people to enjoy the waterfront, but at the same time people need to respect it.”

elferguson@postmedia.com