Bay CBD streetscaping plans on exhibition

Plans to revitalise streetscaping in the Batemans Bay CBD to the tune of $1.25 million are on public exhibition from next Wednesday 16 March following Council’s endorsement of the drafts at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Council's plans for Orient Street and North Street were developed by a landscape architect with input from a project committee of Batemans Bay business and community representatives, as well as business owners and shoppers who had an opportunity to contribute their ideas to the plans late last year.

There are two variations of the plans, with the first option offering three more trees than the second option that has three additional parking spaces. Both options offer an increase in the number of parking spaces and trees overall, and councillors noted that members of the community can also offer a compromise solution during the 21-day public exhibition process.

They were also informed that Batemans Bay Chamber of Commerce has written to Council calling for the second option to have four car spaces rather than three. This request will be treated as a submission to the public exhibition.

Street meets will take place next week where Council staff, the landscape architect and members of the project committee will set up a table outside the bakehouse on Orient Street to chat with shoppers and gauge their preferences for the plans. The meets will be held on Friday 18 March from 12pm to 4pm and on Saturday 19 March from 9am to 12pm.

Also on Friday 18 March, the team will go door to door, visiting business owners in the project area between 9am and 11am to show them the draft plans and ask for their feedback.

The streetscaping project will see the southern side of North Street between Perry and Orient Streets, and the stretch of Orient Street between North Street and Beach Road revitalised with new paving, plantings, street furniture and lighting. Service mains under the road will be renewed and the road resurfaced, with more car parking spaces and improved pedestrian access also part of the plan.

Construction should start by July and will finish prior to the December summer holidays. Council will construct the project, employing local contractors and using local materials.

Batemans Bay streetscaping project committee members will meet in April to review the community feedback and Council will be briefed in May. Members of the project committee are Brad Rossiter, Gary Eiffert, Adam Pike, Justine Donald, Cameron Cresswell, Kiri Wright, and Clrs Lindsay Brown, Liz Innes, and Rob Pollock.

The closing date for feedback is Wednesday 6 April. People who can’t make the street meetings can view the plans from Wednesday 16 March: