HAVE YOUR SAY ... leave a comment on the new look for Lords Place at the bottom of our story
OUTDOOR seating for 120, green space and a more-pedestrian friendly traffic flow are features of the proposed upgrade of the central business district's Lords Place south precinct.
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Wider footpaths, alfresco dining and more shade are also part of the beautification but the trade-off will be the loss of 23 parking spaces on a block that contains about 35 businesses.
Orange City Council has released a concept design for the next stage of its FutureCity project and will be seeking feedback on the plan which strives to make the CBD a more pedestrian-friendly, greener space.
In the next step, the narrowing to a single-lane of the Robertson Park block of Lords Place will be extended south to Kite Street.
The reasoning is that while Lords Place is one lane in each direction, due to the width of the street drivers tend to stray beyond the two available travel lanes, which council believes encourages speeds at the limit and makes crossing the street more difficult.
The trident maples near the Commonwealth Bank and ornamental pears near Crema, StarChem and Nimrod's Cafe will be retained but ten other trees on the block, considered to be in poor health, will be removed.
They will be replaced, along with 12 more, to be planted in self-contained underground cells, designed to protect root systems and stop them spreading.
The government wants communities to test the idea of creating spaces where the focus has switched from cars to people
- Orange mayor Jason Hamling
The trees will be planted in alignment with angle parking spaces which are interspersed with parklets, which are also part of the traffic 'calming'. Council has identified 67 car spaces in the block which will be reduced to 44 if the plan goes ahead.
Eateries are a feature of the block and alfresco dining will be encouraged with seating for 120 to be added along with six permanent shade structures. Lighting will also be upgraded with festooning in Post Office Lane.
While the total cost of the project is still being developed along with final designs, it will be jointly-funded by Orange City Council and the NSW Government.
Earlier this year the Lords Place South project was awarded a grant of $500,000 from the NSW Government's Streets as Shared Spaces program to 'deliver trials that test permanent changes that strengthen the accessibility and economic vitality of a high street and surrounding area'.
Work on the he project is pencilled in to start in September. The concept plan will be put to next week's council meeting and if approved, will be placed on public exhibition.
After feedback is factored in, it will be put before council on September 6.
Orange Mayor Cr Jason Hamling is calling on the community to learn more about the plans, and have a say.
"The beauty of this government grant is that it's intentionally designed to trial changes," Cr Hamling said.
"The government wants communities to test the idea of creating spaces where the focus has switched from cars to people. A place where people park somewhere else and then spend time in attractive, fun spaces. If these ideas work, that will shape the design of future changes to revitalise the heart of our city.
Cr Hamling said there were benefits in creating an 'eat street' in the heart of the CBD that would work year-round, boosting night-time economy.
"If we want to make our CBD an attractive place to meet, this is great start," he said.
"But there will be changes to the routines we're used to. We want to hear from the community how they weigh up benefits of creating this new destination, alongside impacts such as the loss of some parking spaces."
The Mayor said it was a challenging project to get the balance right between the city evolving and supporting existing businesses.
"We want the community to tell us what they think so we can start to explore what it would be like to enjoy outdoor dining areas in a pedestrian-friendly street," Cr Hamling said.
The draft does mention turning the Ophir Carpark into a multi-storey carpark but that proposal is not part of this project.
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