Galway Advertiser 1988/1988_01_21/GA_21011988_E1_012.pdf 

Extracted text

FIRST DRAFT PLAN SINCE 1981;

Institutional Lands
The Corporation is aware that there is a considerable amount of land owned by educational, health, residential or other institutions and if that land is not fully required by those institutions they may be permitted for alterna tive use within the policies of the Plan generally.

OUR WATERWAYS
PART OF THE LIVING CITY
A considerable portion of the Draft Development Plan (Working Papers) is given to highlight the Waterways of Galway, which it describes "as an integral part of the living City, contributing, as they have done down through the ages, to the life and pleasant ness of the urban character".

Sr. Roberta Curran R.I.P.
Sr. Roberta Curran died on November 18, 1987, at St. Joseph's Convent, San Antonio. She was aged 77 years. She had retired in 1985 following 47 years of teaching and administra tion in elementary and secondary schools of Texas and Louisiana. Sr. Curran was the daughter of the late A n t h o n y and Mary C u r r a n , of Galway, Ireland. She had four brothers and three sisters. Two of her brothers, one of whom was a member of the Society of Jesus, have preceded her in death. One of her sisters, who visited her this past summer, is Sr. Edna, a Sister of Mercy, who teaches in Ireland Sr. Roberta entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word at their pre-novitiate h o u s e in Dunmore, County Galway. She pronounced her first vows in San Antonio, Texas, on August 15, 1938. Her entire religious life was devoted to the education ministry. She served in the following schools: St. Philip, St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter-St. Joseph Home, St. Ann and St. Mary Magdalen, all of San Antonio; Sacred Heart Cathedral School, San A n g e l o ; and in St. Catherine's School and Archbishop Chapelle High School, Metaire, Louisiana.

CITY PLANS FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS
Galway City Council was presented with t h e first draft of the County Borough Development P l a n last Monday night. With the help of the City's Planning Officer M r . John Roche and Borough Engineer M r . G e r r y Leyden the Draft P l a n was p r e p a r e d a n d presented by M r . Eoghan B r a n g a n of An F o r a s F o r b a r t h a . T h e Plan, aimed at guiding all development within the newly extended Borough Area, is comprehensive a n d at times bold a n d imaginative.
Although the Plan has been published in two hefty volumes it is intended to be further discussed by the Council before it goes on public display for three months when amendments can be proposed. It is hoped to have the Plan adopted by next July. The Local Authority is obliged to present a plan every five years or so and even though the last plan was adopted in June 1981, Galway is ahead of many other authorities in adapting its structural development to the ever changing needs and aspirations of the com munity. Many of the changes, however, are unpredictable. For example the City popula tion grew at a phenomenal rate during the 1970's, increasing by 35 per cent between 1971 and 1979. But there has been a marked change since then, with the emergence of smaller families and emigration. The popula tion within the County Borough will continue to grow but not at the previously estimated rate of 70,000 by 2004. A figure just below 60,000 by the year 2006 is now considered more real istic. Some of the draft proposals include: Centre and to maintain and improve the commercial and tourist attractiveness of the main streets. This will envisage pedes trianisation, improve carparking and assist shop owners in the preparation of street improvement. The City serves a catchment population of 130,000; and the Corpora tion schemes will strictly limit new or expanded shopping facilities outside the City Centre.

Water Management
Galway Corporation in co-operation with the County Council and Clare Co. Council, will prepare a Water Quality Manage ment Plan for Galway Bay. Separate studies will be carried out on Lough Rusheen and Lough Atalia.

Salthill
The Corporation will undertake a study of the Salthill area with a view to preparing environmental improvement schemes and design control guidelines.

Housing Density
Six houses per acre was the general rule of thumb in the existing Plan; but in order to conform with the demand for small homes or indeed to provide maximum flexibility in meeting market demands, maximum density in this plan is specified in terms of building floor area per hectare. Other areas covered include Roads and Transportation, Tour ism, Land Use Zoning, Development in Rural Areas, Design Consid erations, Sanitary Serv ices, and others.

The Riverside Walk from Salmon Weir Bridge to O'Brien's Bridge is already underway. But further imaginative proposals are made for the Bridge Mills which the Plan says could be developed like the Granery in Limerick or the Powers Court Centre, Dublin.

Archaeological Heritage
An objective of the Plan is to carry out an archaeological survey of all important City historical sites. It is intended that an Action Plan be set in motion to restore the mediaeval buildings at Rirwan's Lane.

BRIDGE

MILLS SHOPPING

CENTRE

T h e City Centre
It is Corporation policy to protect the shopping role of the City

Other proposals include development of the Distillery Site and a pedestrian bridge linking the Cathedral Car Park with Bowling Green. Further studies include Menlough Village, the management of Barna and Merlin Park Woods, Rights of Way and provision of recreation and amenity space.