The Cottonwood Market Bust (Up)!

Asked to what degree the purpose of the demolition is to discourage transients from sleeping there, Cormack (Kevin Cormack, City Manager) said," I don't think that is the driver at all, but it is public safety. It is difficult to monitor what is going on there. The (structures) attract people to be sleeping there and doing other things. But the biggest reason is that they are an eyesore and past their life."
                                              Cottonwood Market stalls to be demolished
                                              Nelson Star, Sep 4, 2015

He doesn't think transients are the driver at all - like he doesn't know? Promptly launching into yes they are - and doing other things too - unspeakable "things"! To flip-flop again into the biggest reason - now public safety not as much as: these structures are an eyesore double-ew! And past their life would be where? Multiple-choice incoherence.
If transients now do use this place for shelter: the problem won't go away with demolishing it!

To Nelsonites and tourists alike these wooden structures give the market its unique appeal. Leaky roof or not.
A Nelson thing! Profitable, too!

Recently, city engineers have said the buildings and electrical system are not up to standard.

City engineers would not suddenly go and evaluate the site thoroughly - they are not inspectors! - unless given a work-order after funding-request/approval. Who gave that order? Cormack? Was the Nelson Fire Department involved? Has Council seen the detailed report on how these conclusions were arrived at? 
Is there a report? 

Flashback
Some time ago the two amenities in the 400 Baker block were largely torn-down to - ostensibly - allow for more user-friendly open spaces: to be used for more socializing, performances, exhibits. This according to Cormack: he also singlehanded making all arrangements (bypassing Council), having a reporter from the Star there on the day to record (t)his feat-in-action in word/picture for posterity and ego. A surprise to all, including his boss - Council!
Word on the street had it at the time that this was really done to get rid of undesirables-then/transients-now to please merchants on the block. Substantiated by Justin Pelant, jeweler right there - but emphatically denied by Cormack then and since.

So - are we now looking at deja voo all over again?

 

These social-whatever spaces never materialized as such: much of them just like that or even earlier leased to restaurants more surprise surprise. So much of them - in fact - that one of the only two benches after the redo on the north-side was pulled recently to convenience a (part-time and during summer only) restaurant there. So now - the wildly popular Wednesday Market on the same block can't provide even a modicum of seating to tired shoppers and those who buy market-food to eat right there. And - market or not - how many can socialize on a single bench?

The Wednesday/Cottonwood Markets and MarketFest - all very successfully run by the EcoSociety - offer three of the too few reasons for Nelson-as-such to be alive during summer.

Tearing down the Cottonwood structures - without readiness to replace them as soon as - may mean the end of one of these attractions. How dumb would that be!

Flash Forward
Clearly - a cohesive definitive plan for the future Railtown has to be worked towards. This will take time, focus and mustn't be routinely, predictably left to the usual: Cultural Development Committee (CDC), David Dobie + now Kevin Cormack's Design Review Committee, comprising himself(!), David Dobie (again), Joy Barrett (CDC again) and Megan Squires, Senior Planner. 
Neither can it be left to a consultant from out-of-town. Nelson has a long pointless-and-pricey history with hiring outside-experts: unfamiliar with Nelson - they bring their uber-urban google, cash the check, leave - and the report is shelved with all the others.

An urban planner - not a consultant! - will be necessary later to join essentials seamlessly - but first we - Nelson! - have to come-up with these essentials and a possible vision we want them to be part of.

For now - don't break stuff if it ain't broke!

Railtown needs a core. Once that has manifested - the rest follows naturally. The pebble in the pond! Simple! 

Automatically making the glitzed-up CP Station Railtown's center would be a mistake: after all - how many locals/tourists will be drawn more than once to these mainly (oversized) Chamber of Commerce digs in faux-heritage Benjamin Moore color-combos.

An imaginatively out-of-the-box space with flexibility - home to the Cottonwood Market and other groups - could become the people-space - cultural center - we need. Architect Thomas Loh and Councillor Kim Charlesworth gave a strong presentation towards that vision to Council, Oct. 2010: what happened to it?

Council needs to become pro-actively involved here from the beginning: consulted and aware of every step to be taken - just signing the check won't do! I mean - look at the Hall thing! The Stores to Shores concept turning into an uncomfortable joke: an infra-structure project with concrete forever - more parking than vaguely conceptualized park.





Images based on:
Der Wanderer ueber dem Nebelmeer
Caspar David Friedrich