Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

Charlotte’s Quay Car Park

Just read a so called “Issues Paper” (June 2007) from the Limerick City Council titled “City Centre Strategy 2007” where following receipt of submissions, a draft City Centre Strategy will be published and a further period will be available for submissions on the draft City Centre Strategy. It is anticipated that the Draft City Centre Strategy will be published in September 2007.

It is worth noting the following from the paper.

One of the three National Spatial Strategy principal goals for the development of a Gateway is an environment of the highest quality!

One of the key characteristics for a successful Gateway is Quality of Life – where quality urban centres and streetscapes, quality physical environment, good physical planning are some of its components.

There is also a paragraph dealing with Urban Design (2.6)

Limerick City Council seeks to create a sustainable city centre where the city can function as market place, meeting place and living place. For this to become a reality it is essential that healthy and attractive local environments are created within the city.

To achieve this goal requires, first and foremost, a well functioning public realm that is integrated into the urban fabric so as to create a vibrant city centre. In order to ensure this vibrancy it is proposed that active frontages and an appropriate mix of retail and commercial uses are encouraged within the core City Centre.

Remember how touchy we are when it comes to the negative perception of our city, as this is the first parking opportunity for visitors coming from the Dublin road side. First impressions of Limerick via the Charlottes’s Quay multi-storey car park can only be a bleak one.

The absence of active frontages within this large site is it’s downfall. The wastage of open space there policed by metal security gates, fencing and surveillance cameras would give one the impression that they are driving into a high security prison and not a multi-storey car park.

I would suggest that the author of the report

Mr. John Field
Director of Planning and Economic Development,:o
Limerick City Council,
City Hall,
Merchants Quay,
Limerick.

should with his department and those developers involved go down to the Charlottes’s Quay site and discuss ways to rectify their mess!