Shan Mei Street Sitting-out Area

火炭地區在沙田新市鎮的規劃中主要為工業用地，自1970年代末清拆大量農地和村落，興建工廠大廈。山尾街為工業區內一條重要的道路，於1981年通車。沿著山尾街南端設有火炭熟食市場、遊樂場、籃球場和停車場等公共設施，以滿足工廠區工人的飲食和休憩需求。此休憩處位於山尾街南端盡頭的熟食市場東座旁，同時毗鄰巴士總站，然而隨著2024年後鄰近的熟食市場和工廈的清拆和重建，這塊場地將成為道路、公共房屋、社區設施和車站的潛在連接點。場地設計以植物綠化帶為主，與街道平行的三條帶狀樹池佔據了主要空間，其中中間的樹池由六株大花紫薇樹陣包圍，在提供陰涼空間的同時捕集灰塵。另有多個日本葵樹池分佈於四角入口處，靠近熟食市場的邊界擺放了繽紛多彩的花卉和觀葉植物，如月季、五星花、紫葉酢漿草和紫蘇葉，以吸引鳥類和蝴蝶。

The Fo Tan area was planned as an industrial site in the Sha Tin New Town. Large amounts of its agricultural land and villages were cleared in the late 1970s for the construction of industrial buildings. Shan Mei Street, an important road in the industrial area, was opened to traffic in 1981. Public facilities such as the Fo Tan Cooked Food Stalls, a playground, a basketball court and a car park are provided along the south of Shan Mei Street to meet the catering and recreational needs of industrial workers. This sitting-out area is located adjacent to the East Block of the Cooked Food Stalls at the southern end of Shan Mei Street and adjacent to the bus terminus. With the expected demolition and redevelopment of the Cooked Food Stalls and nearby industrial buildings after 2024, this sitting-out area will become a potential link between the roads, public housing, community facilities and the bus terminus. The garden design is dominated by planters with various shapes. Among the three linear planters paralleled the road, the central one is enclosed by an array of six Lagerstroemia speciosa that provide shade and trap dust. The site also has a number of Phoenix roebelenii located near the four entrances, and colourful flowers and foliage plants such as Rosa chinensis, Pentas lanceolata, Oxalis triangularis and Perilla frutescens placed along the edge of the Cooked Food Stalls to attract birds and butterflies.