Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
Action 7.7.7 - Provide a greater range of youth recreational activities, including but not
limited to improvements to the skateboard park west of Goldsmith Place. Another possible
skate board facility should be investigated for Frank Walford Park.
7.7.8 Health/Recreation Facility (Private)
The Charrette concluded that there is a need and market for an all-weather health/recreation
facility, which would cater both to visitors and locals. Activities might include massage,
personal counselling, naturotherapy, aerobics/weight training, indoor racquet sports, etc.
Such a facility would:
provide activities during poor weather both for locals and for visitors (to encourage them to
stay longer in Katoomba);
could hopefully become a ‘restorative destination’ in its own right, encourage multi-night
visitation;
encourage more new people to relocate their homes and businesses to Katoomba.
The Charrette identified a suitable site in the precinct to the north of the railway station (the
Goldsmiths Hardware site, see Section 9.2 for design and explanation). However, other sites
may be just a suitable, and the Goldsmiths site might be developed appropriately for other
uses compatible with and supportive of the Town entry.
Action 7.7.8 - A private recreational and health facility should be encouraged to locate as one
of the appropriate uses in association with the Town Centre.
7.7.9 The Carrington Lawn
Prior to the Charrette, various concepts had been contemplated for major modifications to the
Katoomba Street edge of the Carrington Lawn to create a ‘town square’. However, these
proposals had not appreciated that the Carrington Lawn was on the State Historic Register and
is required to be restored more purely to its original use as a formal lawn for the enjoyment of
hotel guests.
The Charrette concluded that most citizens would greatly value the use of the Carrington Lawn
for passive recreation and gathering, due to its central location and fine position in relation to
the now refurbished Carrington Hotel.
However, the Carrington Lawn is private property and officially the domain of Carrington
guests only. The Charrette Team had discussions with the Carrington ownership, aiming to
find a way for the Carrington to allow public use of the Lawn, while the Carrington could retain
ownership and the ability in the future to deny public usage of the Lawn, if its public use
became too much of a problem for the Carrington. At the same time, the Blue Mountains City
Council would take responsibility for the Lawn’s maintenance, public liability and safety, in
some sort of leasehold arrangement. No agreement was reached during the Charrette.
Concern was also expressed during the Charrette about the bus stop in front of the Carrington
Lawn. Specific proposals for this bus stop are in Section 8.2.2 of this Report.
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