Lafayette staff, consultants preview design concepts for 701 Pocket Park; community outreach set for September

Lafayette’s Economic Development Department and design consultant Ayers Associates presented early concepts and community engagement results for the 701 Pocket Park site at the gateway to Old Town during the Sept. 2 council meeting.

Bridget Keating, Economic Development Director, said the project centers on five guiding principles: enhanced public gathering space, celebrating Old Town’s creative identity, passive recreation with integrated play, accessibility and inclusivity, and sustainability and low maintenance. She said the city received robust public feedback through surveys and in‑person outreach and will use those results to shape three draft concepts.

Craig Stoeppel, a landscape architect with Ayers Associates, said the team is ‘‘not gonna design this little pocket park in a vacuum’’ and highlighted nearby assets including Festival Plaza and the community garden. He said the small site requires careful programming and that design must balance multiple users from young children to seniors; shade, pollinators and public art were consistent themes from respondents.

Councilors asked about acoustics, bilingual engagement and how the park will relate to surrounding events. Stoeppel said vegetation, masonry walls and programming choices can mitigate noise and noted Ayers’ prior bilingual projects in Colorado.

Next steps: Staff will release three concepts (mid‑September), gather public feedback at Art Night Out and the farmers market, and return to council with a preferred option.