There aren’t many public waterfront areas in Hammond, so when resident heard they were getting a park right on the river, they got excited.

An information meeting was held on Monday night, and a steering committee will start meeting next week to plan the park on Wharf Street at the foot of Hazelwood Street.

The District of Maple Ridge will put $239,000 into the 700-square-metre lot.

While a preliminary plan was made for the lot when it was first acquired around the year 2000, Bruce McLeod, manager of park planning and development with parks and leisure services, said he’d like the steering committee to start anew.

“We’re really starting with a fresh sheet of paper,” he said about the planning process.

A group of residents were at the site on Tuesday afternoon, anticipating the upcoming park.

“There’s something magical about being that close to the water,” said Hammond resident Leanne Koehn.

Parks and leisure services is hoping to have an open house about the park in early April, McLeod said. And then hopefully the plan will go to council for endorsement by mid April.

McLeod said he hoped construction would start in summer and be finished by the end of summer.