Marine suburb plans more welcoming gateway

An artist's view of the renovated Devonport wharf.

A plan to turn Devonport's dreary ferry wharf into a welcoming gateway has been drawn up.

The poor quality of the wharf building and the cluttered area in front of the wharf, Marine Square, are among the targets for improvement in the Devonport draft master plan, which is open for public comment until February 27. The plan is the result of an urban design competition won by Sills von Bohemen Architecture.

"One of the challenges has been that what you touch you don't muck up," said Devonport Community Board chairman Mike Cohen.

"Devonport was lucky to be saved from developers by becoming a backwater when the Auckland Harbour Bridge was built.

"By the time the developers found it, there was such a public backlash at attempts to change its Victorian-Edwardian character."

The draft plan aims to reinforce the character of the village and improve the sense of arrival, said Aaron Sills and Christina van Bohemen.

The palm-lined Victoria Rd footpath will be extended on its axis to directly link with the wharf building, where a sheltered public outdoor area will be created as a boardwalk.

At this new gateway, visitors will be able to see the main street of Victoria Rd, the waterfront park and beach and the volcanic cone of Mt Victoria in a single view.

In Marine Square, parking will be reallocated to make it more convenient for short and mid-term Devonport shoppers and ferry users.

Safety for pedestrians and cyclists has been a main consideration in the layout of Marine Square and the commercial hub of Bartley Square, adjoining the supermarket.

New pedestrian links will be provided around and across the square to improve links with public spaces, the community centre and lanes behind Victoria Rd.

Mr Cohen said improvements would be carried out over a decade with the first results seen in 2007.

Devonport residents and business owners appeared impressed.

Robyn McIvor said Devonport was a quaint village but no museum piece and its structure had to work for those who lived and worked there.

Peter Raos said few could reject the plan because it would preserve public space and tidy around the edges.

At the same time it sorted out problems in the transport hub and parking and safety issues.