Yarra Ranges Council has developed a draft concept for the Green Street parklet in Healesville, following community engagement, and the document is now ready for community feedback.
Community members are being asked to provide feedback on the concept plan before it starts being prepared for delivery.
The draft concept has been published on Council’s Shaping Yarra Ranges website, showing 13 Green Street being fully retained as public open space.
It proposes features to make it an attractive space for community to sit and meet and for the popular market to spill into.
It also includes an option to add a small activity node that supports picnicking and cyclists.
Feedback is being sought until 11 May.
Ryrie Ward councillor Fiona McAllister encouraged locals to have their say.
“We have several parks and public spaces in Healesville that are treasured by our community, and this location is a small but much valued place in the heart of Healesville,” she said.
“Council successfully advocated with community to keep this site for community and have now purchased the land. We then sought feedback on what community would like to see on the site, and have the much awaited design ready for final feedback from community.
“We’re already in town talking to locals, groups, business owners and the wider community about developing a Healesville Township Development Framework – a long-term plan that maps out the next 20 plus years of the town’s future.
“This project in Green Street, however, is focused on an immediate opportunity for community. If we can hear whether we are on the right track with the design then we will be able to move into detailed design and get ready to deliver the project.
“The community has been wonderfully engaged and passionate about the future of Green Street, and I’m so pleased this land is now in public ownership, protected as open space for community.”
The draft document features ideas such as:
Central feature tree
Terraced seating walls
Accessible paths
Space for market stalls
Grassed areas
VicTrack offered Council the land to purchase in 2017 for approximately $600,000, which the community was overwhelmingly in favour of.
The land’s valuation doubled at that time, and Council declined to purchase the land for the higher price.
After several years of negotiations, and asking for the land to be gifted to Council, VicTrack agreed to sell the land to Council for $600,000 in 2023, under the condition that the land be rezoned as Public Open Space and remain so permanently.
To share the feedback, please visit the following website, shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/open-space-design-green-street-healesville
