The Parking-Shuffle-One-Two

"We want to talk about how we can improve what we have..."
                                                                             Alex Thumm, Planner

Placating some will disgruntle others - no matter what: we only got what we only got!

Shutting down the single possibility of dealing with the parking-issue - a parkade - because of no land/no money: while superficially reasonable shows a lack of vision!

  

Vision to Context
And therein lies the rub: Nelson doesn't have a vision of itself. Vaguely aware of a need, over the years several times trying to buy one from snake-oil salesmen passing through. Also vaguely aware of this approach to an identity not working.
All the while chugging along without structured context (based on/in a vision):  
in identity-crisis mode.

Example: Slicing-up streets for bike-lanes means (again!) redoing Nelson's traffic-flow and parking overall, thereby congesting downtown more.
That bike-lanes mean more people here will use more bikes - instead of cars - is simplistic.
We are not Vancouver!

So - we need to stop either yet another parking-redo - or the feel-good bike-mentality which Council wants to feed with its share of parking-amnesty money, instead of donating that to a charity, as originally suggested.
You can't effectively have both: more parking and bike-lanes.
Do councillors living out-of-town - the majority - regularly commute by bicycle?

The Sustainable Waterfront & Downtown Masterplan - which should provide guidance/context here - actually is only an inventory-list with a few yawning ideas.
The Plan itself - not based in a vision either - was put together by outside consultants who also gave us Hall St. 1&2, promptly showing no affinity for Nelson.

As in: Hall St. 1&2 - or Stores-to-Shores - starts poorly downtown to end poorly at the waterfront's major waste-water outfall, with its very own viewing-area.

A good logo provides positive brand-recognition in a nutshell. Telling of the absence of a vision-thus-context: the logo of Nelson and Kootenay Lake Tourism is not a logo - but an unimaginative, unremarkable, unmemorable jumble!

Most significant: it does not represent Nelson+ favorably to outsiders!

Railtown Parkade
The shabby current one sucks the energy right out of the whole - otherwise spectacular - block: the stately Hume, the Beauty and the Beast Court House, the neat brick/granite box that used to be Emergency Management BC, and some of the very few remaining old trees downtown.

The Nelson and District Arts Council (NDAC) might envision this Blade-Runner silo as a canvas in its 2nd Mural Festival.
But enough already with mud-puddle 'heritage' colors!

Don't think of a new parkade as just another place to put your car for a while - but a visually stunning, multi-function cultural presence: to be experienced with/without a car. 
Replacing the Central School gym and Rod & Gun Club as inadequate community meeting-places; used for performances, celebrations and exhibits; parts - including the roof - rented out as the local go-to place for commercial events. 
Adaptable for anything!
The Railtown location is ideal for tourists, with its proximity to the Station and within comfortable shopping-distance from Baker St end-to-end.

No BUTs!

Think big, think future! With a strong vision in place: necessary opportunities will present themselves - as will financing!
A vision first - the natural order - then structured context!

A Vision of Nelson
An inspired/inspiring vision of Nelson-as-a-whole will guide mindful planning, within the context of the whole truly being more than the sum of its parts = synergy.

Creating such a vision starts with a survey of how Nelsonites perceive an ideal Nelson. Positivity only! No limits to imagination!

Multi-media contests organized by the NDAC/CDC support the process creatively. With the public as participants and jury.

While this discovery must be allowed to take its course: band-aid (no context!) projects will need to be put on-hold for the time being.



Image Credits:
Bjarke Ingels - BIG



Alex Thumm, Planner
athumm@nelson.ca

Pam Mierau, Manager - Development Services
pmierau@nelson.ca

Natalie Andrijancic, Planner
nandrijancic@nelson.ca

Sydney Black, Director - Arts Council
info@ndac.ca

Joy Barrett, Cultural Development Officer
cutural@nelson.ca

City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca

John Dooley, Mayor
jdooley@nelson.ca