West Pittwater Community Association supports Northern Beaches Council’s plans for upgrading of Thomas Stevens Reserve and surrounds. The Aesthetics Advisory Group (AAG), of which WPCA president Michael Wiener is a member, has worked closely with Council during several on-site meetings to arrive at the current design.
The main focus of the design is to retain existing trees, maintain the existing character of Thomas Stephens Reserve and maintain the existing use patterns of the commercial precinct while working with the materials palette already established for Precinct 1 work, which covered the new carpark, boardwalk and commuter wharf.
The timber element and extent for Precinct 2 work was determined to allow retention of the existing trees, which were lifting the paving and damaging the sea wall, while at the same time continuing the wharf language as well as transitioning to the new boardwalk created in front of the pinch point in front of the Pasadena.
The soft landscape element also was determined by the desire to retain the trees and provide adequate root area.
The overarching design ethos was to retain the existing trees and not overcrowd the space with built elements. The goal is to maintain the scale of the main space and to create third spaces within the reserve for different parties to occupy while enjoying views and sun.
The loss of two car-parking spaces in front of the Pasadena was discussed and deemed unavoidable. The wheelchair space currently in front of the Pasadena will be swapped with one in the carpark for a net loss of one space.
The AAG supports the proposal and is meeting to tweak some of the design elements. It should be noted that the ferry pontoon will eventually be moved to the position noted in the Church Point master plan once the issue around moorings is resolved. As mooring leases need to expire, this process will take several years.
Download NBC Concept (2.7 MB)