Village Hall hosted a brainstorming session on the future of Memorial Plaza Monday.
Leading the workshop were planner Phil Myrick and landscape architect Jamie Maslyn Larson, who have been hired to help the village gather and develop ideas for the plaza.
According to Mayor Peter Scherer, the purpose of the workshop was to “talk about the opportunity to create a village center that is a magnetic place of pride.”
Larson explained to residents what her role would be in the renewal process.
“When I asked what is special about Pleasantville, I was told that it is a 21st Century Village,” said Larson.
Myrick then showed pictures of projects around the country. He emphasized that there should be no boundaries to their brainstorming, asking attendees to “get out of the box” and to not just picture “a little greenspace park with a flagpole.”
Following the presentations, the attendees split into groups and were told to present their ideas after half an hour. After wrapping up and writing all of their ideas down, representatives from each group came to the front of the room and presented. One of the main concerns of many residents in attendance was for the safety of those in the space. Some presenters wanted to make sure that there would be some type of barrier that would stop a vehicle from entering the plaza.
Other ideas included amenities such as restrooms and a water supply. One resident suggested that the plaza’s parking lot should be completely removed.
The next step for Larson and Myrick is to look over the ideas that were talked about during the workshop over the next several weeks, and then implement them into possible designs for the space.
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