BRATTLEBORO — With assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the town of Brattleboro will host a three-day design charrette from June 6-8.
According to Brattleboro Planning Director Rod Francis, this will be a multi-day opportunity for property owners, business owners and Brattleboro residents to collaborate with a team of planners, landscape architects, and hydrologists to create a new vision for the Lower Whetstone Brook.
“We were inspired by work of other communities redesigning urban river spaces with a focus on ecology, flood protection and amenity,” said Francis in a news release. “Scientific research predicts more frequent and heavier downpours leading to increased flooding. This is the right time to visualize a resilient urban landscape for downtown Brattleboro.”
The charrette will focus on how the community can engage with the Whetstone Brook as an asset through assessing the character and scale of potential development along the brook between West and Williams Street and Main Street.
A design team of Parker Rodriguez, Inc., Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, and Watershed Consulting Associates will be working on designs throughout the three-day charrette. Public meetings and focus group discussions will inform the design work in a dynamic iterative process resulting in implementation strategies.
A Community Open House will be held on Monday, June 6, at 6 p.m., in Gallery 4 at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St. The design team will make a brief presentation of the project goals and present a thought-provoking design to jump-start a community conversation about the study area.
On Tuesday, June 7, the public is invited to stop by 118 Elliot Street, from 4 to 6 p.m., to view progress on the designs and speak with the design team.
Finally, on Wednesday, June 8, all are welcome to come to a closing presentation, from noon to 2 p.m., at 118 Elliot Street to view the designs for flood resilience in the lower Whetstone Brook corridor.
“Charrettes are a fun way for the public to interact with design professionals and see community visions come to life in real time,” said planner Sue Fillion. “We hope that the public will participate in the open houses but will also feel free to stop by 118 Elliot Street during the day to check on the progress being made.”