May 1, 2009
Tamworth Regional Council has begun a new round of consultations to get public feedback on preliminary concept plans for a new look civic space that takes in Fitzroy St and Bicentennial Park in Tamworth.
The council today began briefing user groups and stakeholders to outline just what proposals have been put forward in the first round of planning to re-design and upgrade Fitzroy St and revamp Bicentennial Park to make it more exciting, more accessible and more user-friendly.
The briefings follow the public presentation last night by landscape architects Spackman Mossop Michaels who outlined their preliminary ideas of how to extend the rejuvenated Tamworth city centre streetscape to include Fitzroy St and stretch into the green space of Bicentennial Park.
General Manager Glenn Inglis described the initial concept planning as exciting and challenging and said TRC hoped to it would provoke review, comment and discussion.
Mr Inglis said the concept plans were out on the table now but certainly no deals had been done, no decisions made, and all the proposals were up for public comment. The proposals were part of a master plan to set a design for the future.
He said some of the ideas were provocative and some would attract animated debate because they formed part of a masterplan to give Fitzroy St a new rejuvenated soul. (TRC will have the plans on display from about May 4, including on the website.)
Chief among the suggestions are to continue a tree-lined avenue from Fitzroy St right through to the footbridge and Peel River, creating an adventure playground, making a new reflective space and memorial garden for war memorials, moving the McKellar stage, building a new country music memorabilia walk that might eventually link to Hands of Fame park, building new amenities and kiosk buildings to better serve users, re-configuring the ponds, and creating entertainment and leisure zones that are more attuned to each other.
Under the plans, there would be more sympathetic tree plantings, more cycleways and walkways, and a new entertainment stage framing a village green.
The Fitzroy St upgrade plan has suggested creating three zones from Kable Ave to Marius St to give it a better feel but still serve its users. They include making the lower end of Fitzroy St a shared zone for pedestrians and vehicles with landscaping and works to make it more like a plaza, while the middle section would balance cars and people with a new forecourt area linking the Town Hall and Department of Lands buildings. The top end would retain full functionality, get new trees, have an upgraded roundabout but improve pedestrian access and amenity.
Spackman Mossop Michaels have proposed new pavements, no gutters, and more tree plantings, and in some zones a contraction in the width of the roadway for cars, as the key to remaking Fitzroy St.
The city centre working group, which advises TRC on matters to do with the CBD, was briefed today on the Spackman plan, followed by cricket and Aussie Rules delegates who took the chance to get a first-hand outline of what the plans mean to sporting groups. Country music, heritage, community and historical groups will also be offered briefings so they can consider their responses.
"This is the first draft of a concept for the areas. Nothing is set in stone. There will be people with strong views on what has been proposed and we want to get that feedback," Mr Inglis said.
"We want to see a new public space that looks fabulous but functions effectively. We want to ensure the two places remain very special places. The Tamworth council has a vision to make this city the best regional city in Australia and to do that we need to keep it vibrant and attractive. These concepts are part of the process that will give us ideas to make decisions now and into the future about how we continue to do that."