Glengarry - Submissions

Hi Glengarry supporters!

This email includes some very important information so I hope you will all be able to make time to have a look at it and lend your support. It includes:
1. Information about the formation of the Glengarry Community Action Group
2. ICC's Long Term Plan - need for submissions
3. Glengarry Community Art Project update
4. Other good news

Glengarry Community Action Group
This Trust has been formed as a steering group to support the Glengarry initiatives that are being driven by the community. Having a formal group also means we are able to access funding to support projects that will benefit the community and support the principles of community-led development.

The current Trustees are:
Marie (Ree) Richards - co-founder of the Glengarry Community Market, organiser of the Glengarry Weigh Club and also active member of Eastside Baptist Church including the organiser of the Women's Group, Ree is the secretary/treasurer for the Trust; Caroline Holmes - Glengarry resident and driver of the Glengarry Community Art Project based in the space next to the Laundry in the shopping centre;
Chris Lee - Pastor of Eastside Baptist church and organiser of the Lithgow St Community Garden and other initiatives;
Les Diack - retired business mentor and a member of Eastside Baptist church;
and myself - Rebecca (Bec) Amundsen - I share my book & coffee shop with the Invercargill Environment Centre at 67 Glengarry Cres, I started the Glengarry Market with Ree and am the Facilitator of the Trust.

We are aiming to have our next public meeting in May. If you would like further information about the Trust, would like to see our Trust Deed or would like to talk to any of us please contact us on this email or pop over to Eastside Baptist. I am at The Book Stop most Monday and Friday afternoons and am happy to talk then too.

ICC's Long Term Plan - need for submissions

The Invercargill City Council is calling for submissions on its Long Term Plan. You should hopefully have received a document in your letterbox called Growing Invercargill which outlines the main points of the plan.

One of the key projects the council has is Urban Rejuvenation. This project provides funding over the next ten years for projects that target the five areas identified by council - Glengarry, Waikiwi, South Invercargill, Windsor and Bluff. In order to include this in the long term plan the council needs submissions to support it.

The Glengarry community has also been advised to submit to this plan with what we want in the way of developments for the area. As you know since July last year a group has been working on plans for improving the first impression of the Glengarry Shopping Centre and we have been talking to people about it as various meetings and at the community market held on the last Saturday of each month.

We have now put together a comprehensive submission on what improvements we would like to have happen in Glengarry. This will be submitted to council by 1 May on behalf of the Glengarry Community. It includes our big picture vision for Glengarry, our submission, gives some background about the community and explains the consultation we have done. It is approximately 17 pages. I can send this document to you if you wish to see it.

I have pasted below a summary version of this which is only 2 pages. This can be printed out and added to your submission or you can use the points in it to write your own thoughts down.

I would like to encourage everyone to make a submission to the council's Long Term Plan to support the Urban Rejuvenation project and the Glengarry submission.

If you have mislaid the council's Growing Invercargill document this is a link to the Council page where you can download it and also the council's submission form if you wish to use it http://www.icc.govt.nz/PublicDocuments/Consultation/DraftLTP2012.aspx

Alternatively if you would like to come to The Book Stop at 67 Glengarry Cres on Mon 23 April between 1pm and 3pm or 5pm and 6pm I will have copies of the submission form there and will be happy to talk about anything in the Glengarry submission.

We will also have information and forms at the April Community Market on Sat 28th 9.30-12.30. If you would prefer not to make your own submission you can send me letters of support which I can add to our submission.

Glengarry Community Art Project update
The Art Project is thriving! Thanks to a very motivated Caroline and her growing team of artists and friends. Check out the space next to the laundry which is overflowing with art and colour now including the Glengarry forest which is painted and mounted on the wall. This forest is made up of trees made by people at the Community Market last year and looks awesome.

If you are interested in having a go at some art and doing it in the company of others pop down to the space on Wed 1-3pm. The team is working on a range of individual and group projects including some works to go in the windows of the empty shops. And if you have any mosaic skills they would be especially keen to hear from you as they have a couple of mosaic plans in the pipeline.

Kids also can have a go at getting involved on Thursdays 4-6pm, for all ages.

And you might see the odd planter appearing in the shopping centre which the art team are also doing and a BIG thanks to the young girls who have cleaned some of the grubby windows in the shopping centre during the holidays! It really makes a huge difference so thank you very much!

Other good news
Sometimes its hard to know where to start as there is so much happening! But in brief:
1. Welcome Channel X - the video rental shop who is moving into one of the empty shops n the South side of the centre next month!
2. The Lithgow Garden run by Eastside has been overflowing with veges and they have even had enough to sell some at the Community Market - if you are keen to get involved, learn something new or even have some skills to share, get in touch with Chris at Eastside.
3. Weigh Club is growing and now meets at 10,30 every Wednesday at Stadium Southland/Velodrome. If you want to know more contact Ree through Eastside.
4. The next Community market is Sat 28 April - tell all your friends and family and encourage them to come along to share a good time and great atmosphere. There is something different every month - this month we will have hangi, mussel fritters, a sausage sizzle fundraiser for the art Project and all the usual secondhand goods, arts and crafts etc. We are keen to have people busk or perform so if you know anyone let them know.
5. Thanks also to Bill who puts some of the shopping centre bins out each Tuesday because the rubbish truck comes before some of the shops are open. we really appreciate this!
6. And I am not sure if I mentioned this in an ealrier email but Stan Walker filmed part of his latest music video in Glengarry with some Glengarry kids involved. The You Tube link to the video is http://www.youtu.be/m_8f9BwFZ4k

Wow, I thinks that's everything! Thanks everyone who is being proactive in the community - I know there are a bunch of people who are quietly doing things in their communities like picking up rubbish, running neighbourhood support groups, lending a hand to neighbours and sharing the positive vibe about Glengarry and helping create a buzz! If anyone wants to forward any stories on to me that would be great as I would love to add them into my next email.

Please do submit to the Long Term Plan or send any letters of support to this email address. Every little bit helps and shows the council that this request is something the community is passionate about.

As always if you no longer wish to get these emails let me know. Please forward this on to anyone who you think might be interested. And I will be posting this on my blog which is at http://thebookstopinvercargill.blogspot.co.nz/ and on our Facebook page which is at http://www.facebook.com/groups/188113074607799/?bookmark_t=group

Cheers for now.
Becs & the Glengarry Team

This is the summary document referred to above, for more information email glengarryaction@gmail.com

The Big Picture for Glengarry
As a result of the consultation we have been doing with the community the Glengarry Community Action Group has formed to act as a steering group to support community initiatives. This group’s vision for Glengarry has been developed by using community consultation as well as principles of community-led development put forward by the Inspiring Communities document What we are learning about Community-Led Development in Aotearoa New Zealand December 2010.

This vision is:
Glengarry will be a model community – the focus will be on resources, capacities, strengths and aspirations, and it will be full of people who take pride in where they live and work. The pride will be built through working together to create a community atmosphere, for example through care and maintenance of the surroundings and participation in public art and other activities. The people will have a sense of belonging because they live and work in a community that will be resilient, connected, safe, inclusive and where everyone is valued.

In order to build Glengarry into a model community with people who are proud of where they live and work and have a sense of belonging to their community as described in the vision we have identified four key areas for development. We have used the community consultation we have undertaken to identify these areas. These areas are:
1. Thriving shopping centre – tenant all the shops, niche or destinational businesses, tidy buildings and surrounds, inviting and busy, events that bring the community together such as the market.
2. Improved green spaces & more trees – soften the grey and bleak appearance of asphalt, create inviting and welcoming spaces, plant fruit trees for the community’s benefit, provide shelter in areas such as the playground
3. Art for the community done by the community – to add colour and vibrance to the area, to provide art spaces for adults & children, to get the community involved, to make them proud to be part of the community
4. Surroundings that are cared for & well maintained – more rubbish bins, ongoing maintenance of buildings and surrounds, counter broken window theory – where if a place looks uncared for then that is how people will treat it, whereas if it looks well cared for then that is how people will treat it.
These areas of development refer to the whole of Glengarry not just the shopping centre area. Ultimately we would like to see these things in places such as the schools, alleyways, streets, residents’ homes, vacant properties, sports facilities, carparking areas, playgrounds and so on.

Our Submission
Urban rejuvenation – we support this as a key project for the Invercargill City Council especially if it is based on the principals of community-led development. We support the $100,000 or more per annum budget for this project.

Glengarry – Following a workshop in September with Peter Kenyon a group of residents and stakeholders formed to work on the first impression of Glengarry especially the Yarrow St Car park. This group included Phil Orr, Chris Lee, Les Diack, Bill Collins, Tonya Virtue, Peter Shand and Caroline Holmes. They were able to get the help of Landscape Architect Nigel Cowburn and 3d Visualisation consultant Richard Inns.

Based on the work they have done we would like to make the following submission to the Invercargill City Council’s Long Term Plan and we seek the support of the council to undertake the following developments:
1. Improve the green belt around the perimeter of the Yarrow St car park
Goal - To make the Yarrow St car park more visually appealing for everyone including residents, tourists and visitors and create a better first impression of Glengarry. This will encourage better care of the area and more use of the area. We also want to increase usage of the car park.
2. Planting fruit trees
Goal - To get the community involved, to create a vibrant area and provide an opportunity to give back to the community.
3. Create spaces for art work and artistic signage
Goal - To create a visually appealing area that the community helps create.
4. Create a flowing walkway from the bus shelter to the shopping centre and through the alleyway
Goal – To create a walkway that encourages the use of the alleyway between the Shopping centre and Eastern Suburbs Tavern and to provide a natural walkway through the area that is safe.
5. Defining the road from the car park for example using trees or traffic islands and reducing traffic speed in the area
Goal – To create a more pedestrian and vehicle friendly car park that is also safer for users.
6. Allocating more rubbish bins near the pub, laundry, playground, bus shelter and public toilet.
Goal – To make it convenient for the public (including residents and visitors) to look after the Glengarry area by providing rubbish and recycle bins.
7. Improved lighting for the car park area
Goal – To create a safe environment in Glengarry.
8. A change in bylaw by the council to allow fully self contained motor caravaners to stay overnight in the Yarrow St car park & improved signage.
Goal – To provide an inviting place for campers who frequent the Glengarry area and provide clear information on what is available in the area.
9. Create a green space to the west of the Habitat’s Bargain Barn
Goal – To create a more visually appealing and user friendly space.
10. Improve ongoing maintenance in the area.
Goal – To ensure that ongoing maintenance is undertaken in Glengarry to help build the area up and give people pride in where they live and work and to give ratepayers value for money.

The Yarrow St car park was identified as the priority for the area as it is currently grey and bleak and it provides the first impression for most visitors to Glengarry as they travel down Yarrow St from the city or from the outskirts of town.