Community Consultation provides first look into proposed housing designs
March 2022 - Mat Rouleau; Project Manager
Blacks Harbour community members were invited to a consultation night at Stella Maris hall last November. The event was hosted by ECW staff and board members and presented a first look at the floor plans, site design, and building layouts for the proposed development on Lewis Connors Drive. Members of the design team from EXP were also on hand to present the progress to date and meet with participants to get their feedback and gather information for future revisions to the plans. The event had approximately 30 members of the public join us and featured some great local food by the Kitchen.
ECW’s Project : Village initiative believes that the best plans for community development projects are those that are co-designed with community members. The consultation event was a first step in including the community in the design of the buildings and asking the larger question of ‘what makes for a great neighbourhood?” Participants had a chance to rotate through different stations that focused on four different aspects of the project: building and floor plans, site plan, mapping community assets in Blacks Harbour, as well as how each individual could benefit from or contribute to the project.
Responses to the initial designs were positive with participants liking the size and scale of the buildings, allowances for greenspace, and variety of units in the buildings. The number one suggestion for improvement? Storage! We also heard interest in seeing energy efficiency design and recreational opportunities being developed as we progress.
An online survey launched following the event allowed for additional participation and all feedback was collected and reviewed by the design team. Keep an eye out in the next several months for a follow up event/presentation where the completed preliminary building plans will be unveiled!
We are still taking responses for our survey. Your input can still help us as we move forward into the detailed construction drawings and as we plan for future developments.
