Ordinary Council Meeting
Late Items
6 April 2021
RECORD NUMBER: 2021/657
AUTHOR: Ian Greenham, Director Technical Services
EXECUTIVE Summary
Council staff have continued to negotiate with both the taxi co-op and the businesses of McNamara Street and while not reaching complete consensus with all involved we have listened and come to a number of compromises that will see both projects continue with support from the taxi co-op and the majority of businesses within McNamara Street.
Changes to Lords Place design are around the taxi rank remaining in its existing position and the marked zebra pedestrian crossing being moved to midblock.
Changes to McNamara Street are around removing the proposed new loading zone, reducing the pop-up shops to one and removing a number of street trees from the design to minimise the loss of parking.
Link To Delivery/OPerational Plan
The recommendation in this report relates to the Delivery/Operational Plan strategy:
· “9.1 Preserve - Construct and maintain a road network meets the community’s transport and infrastructure needs”.
· “9.2 Ensure that adequate car parking spaces are available to support growth”
· “9.4 Develop a vibrant civic and commercial precinct as a centre for the community”
· “11.1 Capitalise on the character and lifestyle of Orange to remain a destiny of choice”
· “12.1 Attract and grow strategic investment”
· “12.4 Partner with key stakeholders to enhance opportunities for local business to grow and prosper”
Financial Implications
Council has committed $5 million per year, for 2 years, to the Future City program.
Policy and Governance Implications
Nil
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That Council resolves to: 1 Endorse the taxi rank remaining in its existing position and the marked zebra pedestrian crossing being moved to midblock in Lords Place. 2 Endorse removing the proposed new loading zone, reducing the pop-up shops to one and removing a number of street trees from the design to minimise the loss of parking in McNamara Street. |
further considerations
The recommendation of this report has been assessed against Council’s other key risk categories and the following comments are provided:
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Service/Project Delivery |
The delivery of this project will rely on a whole of Council approach to ensure success. In the section above where the project is linked to the Delivery/Operational Plan multiple strategies have been identified. However, the impact of the project has relevance to numerous objectives on the Community Strategic Plan. |
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Reputation |
While there are many benefits of progressing the project, a significant challenge during the delivery phase will be to, where possible, limit impacts on CBD businesses. Council is committed to working with businesses to limit this impact. |
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Environmental |
A key aspect of the project is to make the city more pedestrian (and alternative travel modes) friendly. This is considered a prerequisite for reducing car dependency, which in turn can help to reduce traffic, congestion and fossil fuel consumption. |
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People |
While the disruptions created by COVID-19 will be long-lasting, the finalisation of this strategy and the implementation is an opportunity to form part of the recovery. Demonstrating the benefits and limiting the impact of implementation on key stakeholders will be an important engagement project. Such is the scope of the project stakeholders are community-wide. |
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SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Lords Place – Byng to Summer Street
Following 2 March 2021 Council Meeting, it was obvious that plans previously workshopped with the Taxi Co-op Committee had not been endorsed by the wider Taxi Co-op membership. Council facilitated another workshop and there was an overwhelming support for the rank to stay where it is for three main reasons:
1 Safety – drivers can see patrons approaching them from in front rather than behind the taxi;
2 Central location - to three popular licensed venues and capacity for patrons to wait within the park socially distanced; and
3 Access to the rank without having to go through traffic lights speeding up the circulation of taxis.
Orange City Council staff have since been working in close consultation with Lords Place businesses and the Taxi Co-Op as new designs came to fruition.
The current design has been shown to the Taxi Co-Op board and they are all in full support. They understand that the new taxi rank will give them 6 parallel parking spaces and the room to extend after 6pm across what will be 45-degree reverse in parks up to the centre of the park. They relayed their thanks to Council for listening to their concerns and requests that has led to a design that suits their needs. We are now working with the Co-Op on how to best address the construction period with a temporary rank and how the new rank should look/feel.
As for the 10 business owners on Lords Place that have now seen the new design for the street:
· 9 are in full support and believe this design is better than the original or have stated their support due to not being affected by the new design. Those in full support have expressed their concerns for how the street currently operates, seeing near misses between drivers and pedestrians due to illegal U-turns and in turn support the introduction of a mid-block crossing.
· 1 business owner believes a pedestrian crossing isn’t needed and believes the loss of parking spots to allow for the crossing doesn’t benefit businesses on Lords Place. He believes that the centre median should have breaks between the trees to allow for pedestrians to cross the road that way, rather than introducing a designated pedestrian crossing.
Attachments
Rev C drawing (Design taken to Council 2 March 2021)
Rev E drawing (Updated design)
McNamara Street – Summer Street to Kite Street
Following 2 March 2021 Council Meeting, Cr Jeff Whitton and I met with Mrs Prue Swain, part owner of the Hive, to discuss concerns regarding loss of parking and pedestrian safety lighting/CCTV cameras. As a result of this, I met with not all but some that were referenced in our discussions to gauge the desire to remove trees in place of parking. It was clear at these subsequent meetings that there was not consensus amongst business operators with some still wanting to retain trees. As a result, the following localised concessions were agreed to that didn’t compromise the overall design intent:
1 That the street tree immediately beside the Hive be removed from the design;
2 That the installation of CCTV cameras would be taken up for consideration by Council’s Crime Prevention Committee;
3 That footpath works would be extended under the Hive portico, the area subject to an easement in favour of Council as a footpath;
4 That the planned whiteway lighting on the western (Hive) side of McNamara Street in addition to existing street lighting on the eastern side and proposed festoons over the Council carpark adjacent, would provide for increased pedestrian safety. Also, that footpath and electrical installation would proceed as planned in the following week.
Once works commenced with disruption to parking on both sides of McNamara Street, Mrs Prue Swain used the disruption to businesses to galvanise support from a claimed “all business owners” with a formal objection to Council specifically around loss of parking due to the loading zone and street trees (see attachment). Notable omissions from the signatories to the objection were Mr Chris Gryllis (Church building), Mrs Val Myott (Manager of Curves) and any representatives from Aldi, Hotel Canobolas or Mr Lims.
A timeline is useful to understand development of the design and this final recommendation:
· September 2020, after a year of community consultation throughout 2019 the Future City framework was adopted by Council with three main themes:
1 Attract more people
2 Increase the number of people living and working in the City Centre
3 Make the City Centre more walkable
· October 2020, workshops with business and building owners within McNamara Street with a number of desired outcomes:
1 Do not install the proposed cycleway from the Future City concepts for McNamara Street taking away half of the on street parking;
2 An additional loading zone
3 Traffic calming to address speeding motorists using the Lane to avoid traffic lights
4 Shade in the form of advanced tree plantings
5 Lighting for pedestrian safety.
· November 2020 - January 2021 - The design was developed with these desires and reviewed internally.
· February 2021 - The design was circulated within the business community directly by Council’s Engagement Officer and exhibited for public Comment on the Your Say website
· 22 Feb 2021 - The CEO and I met with a number of the business owner’s onsite to discuss the design and at that meeting it was clear that some wanted trees and others did not so the report was finalised to Council noting this difference of opinion.
· 2 March 2021 - Council resolved to endorse the design.
· 9 March 2021 - Meeting between Mrs Prue Swain, Cr Jeff Whitton and I (see above notes).
· 12 March 2021 - Email to Mrs Prue Swain updating on progress with requests.
· 19 March 2021 - Meeting and follow up email with Mrs Prue Swain with localised concessions (see notes above).
· 23 March 2021 - Letter of objection (see attached)
· 25 March 2021 - Meeting with Mrs Prue Swain and three other signatories to the objection letter. Also passed John from the Blind Pig who wasn’t involved in the meeting.
· 28 March 2021 - Meeting with Mr John Vandenberg, the CEO, Engineering Manager and I where John was in support of most things, had some specific concerns around his business that could be accommodated and a number of ideas for events in the future.
· 29 March 2021 - Follow up phone call with Mrs Val Myott, to inform her of outcomes of the meeting.
· 29/30 March 2021 - Close out email with those that attended the Friday Meeting removing the proposed new loading zone and street trees. Including the attached Rev F plan that only loses 2 on street and one off street car parks.
Further greening of McNamara Street will be considered in future stages.
Attachments
Formal Objection Letter
Rev E drawing (Design taken to Council 2 March 2021)
Rev F drawing (Updated design)
1 Rev C Drawing, D21/18235⇩
2 Rev E Drawing, D21/18236⇩
3 Signed (redacted) letter from Business owners on McNamara Street, D21/18237⇩
4 Rev F drawing, D21/18239⇩
Council Meeting 6 April 2021
Attachment 3 Signed (redacted) letter from Business owners on McNamara Street
