The future vision for downtown Squamish is moving from a discussion to a drawing this week.
The Smart Growth on the Ground process leading to the vision for the downtown area kicked off Monday (April 18) with a community meeting.
Mayor Ian Sutherland told the group of 42 people gathered at the meeting that the work being done to create the downtown vision will affect the whole community because the community is inter connected.
"What Council is trying to do is to have a plan in place and to follow that plan," Sutherland said.
One of the main elements of the process is the design charrette, which is happening this week and continues next week. The 42 volunteers working on the design charrette represent a wide range of groups and interests in the community. Those involved in the design charrette process met on Wednesday (April 20).
The volunteers are basing their discussion and drawings on guidelines created by Smart Growth facilitators. The facilitators created the guidelines, or the design instructions, based on group workshops held late last year with local businesspeople, developers, property owners, residents, environmentalists, educators, community group representatives and recreationalists. Other meetings were held with other special interest groups like the Squamish Nation and Don Ross and Howe Sound Secondary leadership classes.
"The brief does not specify how to plan and design; this is left to the charrette team to work out," said Elisa Campbell of the University of British Columbia Sustainable Communities Program.
The large group of people tasked with creating the vision met again after The Chief went to press on Thursday (April 21) and their daytime meeting was followed with a mid-course review in the evening. The plans as they existed were put on public display for everyone to see and comment on.
The comments were noted and will be considered when the team reassembles for more discussion and drawing on Wednesday and Thursday (April 27 and 28).
There will be an open house and presentation on Thursday so residents can see what the 42 volunteers came up with. The meeting will be held at the Sea to Sky Hotel starting at 7:30 p.m.
"It will be a made-in-Squamish solution," Campbell said.
Once the concept is established, the Smart Growth facilitators take all the work and come up with a report called a neighbourhood concept plan and the plan will be presented to District of Squamish Council.
The same charrette process was used last year to create a vision for the bare oceanfront lands. More information on the process is available at www.sgog.bc.ca.
