Developing a New Vision for the Buckroe Bayfront

October 13, 2006

A number of people came out to public design sessions during the first week of October to share their thoughts and ideas for the Buckroe Bayfront and three city-owned blocks under consideration for development.

After several days of public input and with more than 100 maps generated by the public, four new concepts for the Buckroe Bayfront Initiative emerged.

Green space included in the plans range from 13 acres to 17 acres, an increase over the current 10 acres within Buckroe Beach Park.

Design consultants looked at a number of objectives for the Bayfront area including:

• increasing the amount of public open space,
• enhancing public access to the beach,
• providing a wider array of activities in the park,
• adding additional public parking, and
• creating new housing to support revitalization of the neighborhood.

The plans are still in draft form and elements from any plan may be utilized within a different plan.

Fred Bonci, one of the founders of LaQuatra Bonci Associates who assisted in this effort along with Urban Design Associates, described the elements that go into assuring a successful park.

"The size and scale of the park in relation to the surrounding neighborhood and the park's overall image are important aspects," he said. "Whether people feel safe and comfortable is also vital to a park's success."

He noted that a first-rate park includes mixed uses; it becomes the place where people go to talk with friends, relax on a bench to read a book, watch children play soccer, or have an afternoon picnic. In addition, a park must be well-managed and maintained for it to flourish.

The options will be available for public review at the Planning Department web page (http://www.hampton.gov/planning/) and Hampton Public Libraries. Recommendations will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for their approval in public hearings early next year.

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