Sprucing Up The Town's Appearance
Council has now set its priorities for the first round of work it will do on the town centre based on the Growing Marlborough town planning strategy.
New ideas for the town centre were brought together through a series of workshops and consultations with the public during 2009. Its key proposals include:
- Relocating the library and art gallery
- A ‘pocket park’ at the end of Queen Street and new riverside parks
- Better use of open spaces and more street trees
- Upgrading the street network and bike/walk paths
- Improving central footpaths and altering the lampposts
- Markets in the town centre
- Establishing an urban design panel for Blenheim.
Council's Assets and Services Committee has resolved that developing the pocket park, on the site of the current car park opposite the Number 1 Shoe Warehouse, should be one of the first steps. The Farmers' Market has been using the area on Sunday mornings over winter.
Another priority will be planting 14 trees along Seymour Street, incorporating them into the design for a cycleway planned along that route.
CBD advocate Councillor Terry Sloan says it's great to be getting started on the plans for the town after so much discussion.
“The measures we’ve got lined up will be a really positive step forward. Our intention is to create a more lively atmosphere in town and these are all projects where people will be able to see the benefits straight away,” he said.
He says retailers and the public will be consulted along the way as the plans are progressed.
The third priority agreed upon is to find a design for the ‘gateways’ into the CBD. The UrbanismPlus town planning strategy proposed an entrance feature which would help drivers on State Highway One notice the turn-off into town. As examples, a series of sculptures of tui, suspended on cables above the road, flying toward the town centre, or a sculpture sited at the Alfred Street roundabout were suggested.