Hands-on public participation for Mason County, WA
Designed by residents, a community hub takes shape
Client: Mason County Transportation Authority
Services applied: Public Participation, Planning
August 2008 - January 2009
The Mason County Transportation Authority (MTA) contracted with FLT Consulting and two architecture firms to work with the public to renovate an old Armory building and create a new mixed-use transit and community center in its place. Public participation was considered a high priority, so the design project included a number of outreach measures:
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Vision kick-off meeting
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Three-day design fair
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Stakeholder interviews
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Webpage design and maintenance
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Media outreach, including radio spots
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Community presentations
The centerpiece of the public participation process was a three-day design fair for citizens, business and officials from towns throughout Mason County. Over 100 participants worked side-by-side with architects to design a multi-use transit and community center.
This process is known as a design charrette, which is intended to involve participants in a hands-on manner. An intensive, three-day design discussion resulted in resolving many potential issues with the facility. Meetings were scheduled throughout each day, interspersed with architect design sessions. As the public discussion ensued, the architects would design and redesign the conceptual site plan and floor plan of the facility. Each day would end with a public meeting, in which the general public would review the days’ work, and then discuss and select design priorities.
Once the public priorities were determined, we worked with key stakeholders to develop a business plan and a separate plan to fund the construction and operations of the facility.
Outcomes
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Involved 100 people in a productive, organized and creative exercise
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Built trust and ownership among future users of the facility
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Provided a forum for a variety of citizen perspectives to be heard in detail
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Increased the visibility of transit in the community
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Promoted collaboration between public, private and non-profit sectors
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Produced a functional business and funding plan
“This project is going to be an asset for all of Mason County.”
- Lynda Ring-Erickson, County Commissioner and Chair of the MTA Board