Two-hour parking has been introduced in the Ophir Car park to relieve pressure during the Lords Place south construction phase and as part of long-term changes for the precinct.
Car spaces (36) on the fringe of the Ophir Carpark facing Lords Place and Kite Street will be changed to free 2hr parking (8:30am to 6:00pm) this week. The remainder of the car park will remain all-day.
PARKING: 36 car spaces on the fringe of the Ophir car park facing Lords Place and Kite Street will be changed to free 2hr parking (8:30am to 6:00pm) this week.
Both the two-hour and all-day zones will remain free. As when other changes are made to parking in the city there will be a period when warning rather than infringement notices are issued as motorists get used to the changes.
Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said with projects such as this there will be some disruptions, but Council was committed where possible to limit impacts.
"There has been a lot of discission around the project and now is the time to get on with the work. I appreciate there are some different views on this which is often the case with transformative projects that are designed to meet the needs of a growing city," Cr Hamling said.
"This project shifts the focus from vehicles to people. It has been designed as a temporary project but can also transition to permanent or be amended to meet changing needs. There will be a rigorous review process during the trial period."
Stage 1 of the Lords Place south upgrade will take approximately 6 weeks to complete.
Stage 1 includes the tree replacement program, new water mains and preparatory work for the roll-out of new lighting.
There were 16 trees in the street. Ten were removed and six were retained. 22 new trees will be planted. There are two species to be planted: Red Ash and a Field Maple. Advanced tree stock will be planted in underground tree cells. At the end, the number of trees in the block will be almost doubled to 28.
The advanced Red Ash trees are in 400 litre pots and are up to 6 metres tall. They will grow to around 12-15 metres. In time they will significantly increase the tree canopy in the street.
Tree pits will significantly improve the health and appearance of trees in heavily trafficked areas like Lords Place. Tree pit installation and tree planting will get under way at the start of November.
The water main element of the project will ensure water reliability and quality in the street. It is a scheduled upgrade on both sides of the street that will replace the water main that is more than 60-years-old.
The new lighting installed in other parts the CBD as part of the future city project has been well-received and while trenching is being undertaken and tree pits installed electrical services will be laid for lighting hook-ups at a later date.
Council is working to a tight deadline to complete the first stage of the Lords Place South upgrade by the 1st of December. The plan is that no construction work will happen in the street during the already busy pre-Christmas shopping period. Work will then re-start in the
New Year.
Council crews will be working to minimise the impact on businesses during the construction work including night works when possible. Works tonight will include road cutting for trenches and tree cells and the removal of the dining pod at Crema to allow these works to
proceed.
Orange City Council undertook significant community consultation on this project, which included on-line engagement, face to face sessions,
