Foxton Main Street final working plans presented to public

The final working plans to upgrade and enhance Foxton’s Main Street were presented at a community meeting attended by just over 100 people last night.

Horowhenua District Council has been working with the community to revitalise Foxton through implementing the Foxton Town Plan, adopted in 2010. In the plan, the project identified as being most important to Foxton was the redevelopment of Main Street.

Foxton Community Board chair Janine Smart says the final working plans are a result of five years of community consultation and changes to the design based on public feedback as well as best practice design and prioritising environmental and social benefits. In the Long Term Plan 2015-2025, $1.5 million has been allocated to the project. The physical works are expected to start either July or August.

Key changes

Main Street will become more ‘pedestrian-friendly’ through:

· Widening the footpaths at key points along the street to provide more public space for café tables, temporary stalls, seating and garden beds. This will also encourage vehicles to slow down and be aware of pedestrians potentially crossing the road. This additional space is primarily concentrated at the north-end of the street.

· Adding tactile indicators to the footpath to aid visually-impaired people travel along and cross the road.

· Installing pedestrian refuges at crossing points to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the road.

· Resurfacing footpaths and making them flatter and wider so that they will be safer for pedestrians and mobility scooters.

· Installing street furniture.

Foxton Main Street will be ‘greener’ through:

· Native trees and low-level shrubs planted to create a more visual appealing aesthetic, contributing to the quality of the street as a public space. The new vegetation will also contribute to biodiversity networks in Foxton.

· More bike stands installed, encouraging locals to cycle through town and cycle tourists to stop in Foxton.

Creating a Memorial Plaza by:

· Developing the area around the Cenotaph into a Memorial Plaza and connecting it through to Ihakara Gardens to enable a contemplation space.

Ms Smart says these changes will encourage people to stay longer in the Main Street area, and encourage activity from Main Street businesses to contribute activity and interest to the public space.

“There will be benefits for Main Street businesses. Drawing people into an attractive and interesting place will help turnover and add positive value to visitor and community experience.”

Ms Smart also took the opportunity to do some “myth-busting” surrounding the Main Street redevelopment.

“While there will be some vegetation introduced to make the street a more appealing place to be, we have carefully designed the street upgrade in response to the community’s objection to trees in the centre of the street,” she said.

“There are also claims that the horse drawn tram will not be able to operate. This is not the case. We have been in regular communication with the Horse Drawn Tram Society and they are happy and support the plans.

“A minority of people say this upgrade is unnecessary, however most say this upgrade is crucial. A key reason for the updates is safety, as our current pedestrian crossings are actually not compliant and cause a number of near-miss accidents. The footpaths aren’t level and for our children and older residents this can cause falls. Also, we all want Foxton to be a place where people choose to come to and a place where they spend time and money. The quality of the street, as a public space, is imperative to this.”

Ms Smart says the redevelopment will help make a “hugely positive difference” to the look and ambience of the town.

“We have the green light for Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, the Foxton Water Tower will soon be lit like never before at night, and now we can look forward to the Main Street redevelopment progressing. This is an exciting time for our town and I encourage people to look at the many positives that come from these projects that will transform our town.”

ENDS

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