City of New Westminster creates parklet in Uptown neighbourhood as part of public realm improvements
New Westminster – The City of New Westminster has commenced construction of a parklet on Belmont Street following City Council’s endorsement of making significant public realm improvements in the Uptown neighbourhood. The parklet will be located adjacent to 524 Sixth Street with movable furniture that transforms two on-street parking stalls into a welcoming spot for impromptu meetups, sharing a bite to eat, and visiting with family, friends and neighbours.
“Recognizing the intersection of Sixth and Belmont as one of the busiest pedestrian areas in the city, we are happy to create a safe, innovative and unique public space to be enjoyed by residents and visitors to New Westminster,” said Acting Mayor Chuck Puchmayr.
To further reinforce the idea of transforming the area into a public space, the City will implement a partial street closure on Belmont Street that allows only eastbound vehicular traffic on a portion of the street. The portion of Belmont Street that is closed to westbound vehicular traffic will be transformed into a social “lawn” area (i.e. artificial grass) with possible features such as colourful Adirondack chairs, outdoor games and a reading room. There is also provision for five back-in angled parking stalls to compensate for the stalls occupied by the parklet to ensure there is no net loss in surface parking on Belmont Street.
The installation of the parklet and the partial street closure to create a ‘lawn’ on the street is being viewed as a pilot project by the City. Staff will be monitoring activity, working in partnership with the Uptown Business Association and adjacent businesses, and making adjustments as necessary to ensure the installation is attracting the type of family-friendly activity for which the area has been designed.
Construction of this project will be completed on Thursday, June 30.
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Contact:
Erika Mashig
Parks and Open Space Planner
City of New Westminster
emashig@newwestcity.ca or 604-527-4530
Lisa LeBlanc
Transportation Manager
City of New Westminster
lleblanc@newwestcity.ca or 604-515-3786