I don't know which of these entities is responsible for the upkeep of Belmar's main plaza, but after 14 years, it's clear that the area needs more than daily cleaning. It's time for some serious maintenance, and probably a remodel.
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| Belmar's dry and broken fountain. |
Let's start with the the main fountain, which hasn't been turned on in years. At one time, there was a large round stone ball that turned as water flowed round it, but it cracked and was later removed. The shallow step design of the fountain encouraged children to play on it, which led to the installation of a "Warning: No Entry" sign. Compare this with Founders Fountain, the water feature in Stapleton's main plaza. Designed with a wading feature that was meant for children, it was installed in 2003 and is still up and running today. In contrast, Belmar's defunct fountain has become an unwelcoming eyesore.
Next up are the paving stones. They give the plaza it's old world charm, but the stones along Bonfils Lane (i.e. the south side of the plaza that runs between the movie theater and the steps leading up to Whole Foods) have shifted and buckled. In some areas the stones have become a tripping hazard. The ground in this area needs to be re-graded and the stones relaid so that they are flat.
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| Buckled paving stones on the south side of Belmar Plaza. |
Finally, there's the dead tree on the plaza that should have been removed and replanted but which was instead turned into a grotesque sculpture of happy bears, birds, and rabbits. Clearly someone thought this was a good idea, but let me make it absolutely clear: it wasn't. It was a terrible idea. Carvings of happy woodland animals belong in tourist trap towns in the mountains, or the yards of ramshackle homes with lace curtains, uncut grass, and a jeep or two up on blocks in the driveway. Belmar's aesthetic is modern, not rustic. Yes, whoever had the horrible idea to carve up this tree should feel deep, deep shame.
Of course, maybe deep shame is your aesthetic. If so, let me make a different argument, one from a design standpoint. The trees that line the south end of the plaza are there to mark a through-zone (the aforementioned Bonfils Lane) that connects the east and west sides of Belmar. The uniformity of these trees creates this through-zone. In other words, it's important to the function of the plaza that there be a row of trees along its south side. By turning one of these trees into a kitsch piece of mountain-art, the entire design of the plaza has been thrown off-kilter.
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| Art? No, this is the mutilated corpse of an innocent tree. |
So we come back to the fact that's it unclear who's making decisions about the Belmar Plaza. Clearly it's not someone with any professional expertise in design. It's probably someone who's just muddling along on a limited budget, and who doesn't have any clear sense that one of Belmar's most important spaces is falling apart.
Belmar's main plaza needs the attention of a landscape architect, and it needs it now. Unfortunately, I don't even know who's responsible for keeping up the plaza area, or if that entity even cares that things are starting to fall apart.
