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City plans charrette for Millennium Walkway

City officials are preparing a master plan for Millennium Park, but they need your help.
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There are plenty of beautiful views along the Millennium Walkway in Castlegar including this lookout point over the Columbia River at Twin Rivers Park.

City officials are preparing a master plan for Millennium Park, but they need your help.

On April 13 and 14 at the Community Forum, 445 13th Ave., the public is invited to submit ideas on which direction the future of the park should take.

The Millennium Walkway was created to connect to Twin Rivers Park in 2000. Chris Barlow, director of transportation and civic works, said only a few changes have been made since then, including an extension of the walkway to 5th Avenue.

Changes have also been made at Twin Rivers Park.

“We went from one soccer field, to a multi-use field to two soccer fields,” Barlow said.

The original plan for the park left lots of areas to improve on, Barlow said.

In the past 11 years, eight to 10 different groups have approached the city asking to add to the park. Most recently, Castlegar’s Rotary Clubs approached the city about installing a green gym along the walkway.

Barlow said other inquires have ranged from changerooms and concessions to a municipal beach to a pier or boardwalk to Zuckerberg Island.

He said there have also been suggestions for a municipal campground, but “that would be a long-term visioning process.”

On the first evening of the charrette, concepts will be created with help from HB Lanarc Consultants, who have been hired to help create the master plan.

“The first night will be basically a complete input session,” Barlow said.

Working sessions, including ideas for future use and park design will take place on the first night.

“The consultants will take that away and the next day they’ll work with staff to incorporate as much as that input as makes sense,” Barlow said.

On the second evening, there will be a public review session, then a discussion of a preferred concept.

“If most of the people are able to come back the second night we can ask them, ‘how did we do?’” Barlow said.

After the plan is chosen, Barlow said it wouldn’t be carved in stone forever. Rather, it’ll be a living document meant to be a long-range vision for 10 to 20 years.

“The idea is to see some of the projects go ahead in the near future,” Barlow said.

The design charrette takes place on April 13 and 14 at the community forum. Each session begins at 6 p.m.

Refreshments are to be provided and both events are open to all.

For more information, visit castlegar.ca/millenium_master_plan.php.