Phoenix workshop
The following is a brief overview of the workshop held 26-28th June at Stonelea and the Golf course. By necessity it is biased by the sessions the author attended!!!
The workshop was attended by approx 100 community members, design team members and shire and government stakeholders. Photos of the weekend are here. A more detailed overview will follow. This will develop an Urban Design Framework for Marysville, and broad vision for the triangle. It is a 6 week process- diagram here
The weekend started with a "Setting the Agenda" session open to all at the Golf Club. Key priorities were set as sustainability, business, tourism, nature, recreation, health and so on...
The following day started with introductions, 3 community members providing reflections on their community. Then a number of presentations to provide food for thought....Boston Consulting group overview of the economic foundations, sustainable environments (Rita), bushfire safety, and place/soul/identity.. Then the group set to work in small groups looking at a range of issues- see these represented in the photo gallery.
Open Studio on Friday night was again open to any and all community members to come in, see what had been done to date, and add their views....
Saturday saw more work in the smaller groups. Common themes kept coming through...sustainability, maintaining the character of the town, creation of a community hub around the Murchison st roundabout near the bakery, desire for attractive streetscape, setbacks for shops, sealing of Darwin St and opening up through to Gallipoli park with a town square, creation of a community/arts hub, laneways for character, importance of the natural landscape with mountains/water, co-location of services... At the end of the Saturday the main street view shown in one of the photos was developed by the "retail group" of Jenny Worchester, Geoffrey Pope, Julia Harris, Richard Udon and Vicki Moritz. The design team then presented their plan, based on what they had heard during the workshops. And the results were very similar....and good sign that consensus was being reached.
The Triangle overview determined a need for urban design frameworks for the other towns, bike/walking tracks linking the triangle towns....(more to follow).
Of course this would not be a community workshop without some "hot topics". One of the hottest was the siting of the Building Advisory Centre, a building donated by many companies working together to provide these buildings free of charge to Marysville and Kinglake. It was clear prior to the workshop the consultation on this building had been poor. However a process was put in place and on Sunday a consensus view determined the building is much needed and given it will have a Visitor information centre desk, it will be situation in the main street. The design group were given the task of determining the final siting of this building and will work with Sam Beck to move this forward. Another hot topic is "what we need right now"...and there is a real need for the Car Museum purchase and fit out to process so residents can get basic needs met ASAP.
The design team will present a more detailed summary in Melbourne on 8th July, and in Marysville on the evening of 12th July. Details to follow