By Matthew Sims
West Footscray residents are encouraged to have their way on whether or not to keep the temporary pop-up park at the corner of Clarke Street and Barkly Street.
Installed at the end of 2020 and initially identified in the West Footscray Neighbourhood Plan 2018 as a space which could be adapted for community use, the Clarke Street Pop-Up Park has offered residents with a safe and inviting outdoor space to connect and has remained a popular place for residents to meet, play and relax long after restrictions were lifted.
Maribyrnong mayor Sarah Carter said it is important to gauge the level of support and opposition for the pop-up park.
“There is no doubt these temporary pop-up parks, which have transformed areas traditionally allocated to vehicles into spaces able to be enjoyed by people, have been popular with residents and traders alike,” she said.
“Although, it is also true that not everyone has welcomed them.
“It is important that we understand the local appetite for retaining the Clarke Street Pop-Up Park before making any decisions on its future.”
If retained, the Barkly Village pop-up park will join other temporary pop-up parks permanent at the request of the community, including the installation on Ballarat Road in Yarraville after 3000 residents asked for it to be retained.
The retention of the Barkly Village pop-up park will lead to the permanent loss of two car parks and a permanent closure of the host section of roadway.
West Footscray residents who wish to have the pop-up park retained can also tell the council which elements they want to keep, those they want changed and what new features they would like to see.
Feedback closes at 5pm on Sunday, December 18.
Maribyrnong council representatives will be at the Clarke Street Pop-Up Park from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursday, December 8 and from 10am to noon on Sunday, December 11.
Details: yourcityyourvoice.com.au/ClarkeStreet
