By MICHELLE HERBISON
CHANGING Ocean Grove’s arterial link and installing traffic lights at a busy intersection emerged as key ideas at a council-run urban design framework workshop for the town this week.
Ocean Grove Community Association’s John Fendyk said about 70 people attended Monday’s all-day workshop at the town’s surf club, while about 40 went to an evening summary session on Tuesday.
The association would put forward further submissions to a council report during its public consultation process, he said.
“We support broader consultation because it’s always disappointing that you miss out on getting the representation of younger people and younger families. I mean, 70 out of 11,000 were there, so it makes it hard.”
Mr Fendyk told the Independent his group would seek to fast-track the installation of traffic lights at the corner of Orton St and Presidents Ave, a busy beach-access road.
“That intersection has always been rated as pretty dangerous,” he said.
Mr Fendyk said many people at the workshop supported swapping the town’s arterial road link from The Parade to The Terrace.
“I think they felt The Parade has always been a bit narrow and can’t accommodate the traffic as well. Others didn’t agree with that because it would take you right through the shopping strip,” he said.
“If we want to invigorate our shopping strip we don’t want a lot of traffic going through there.”
Support for residential accommodation above shops would create “vibrancy and energy” in Ocean Grove’s shopping complex, Mr Fendyk said.
Other ideas for the town’s shopping hub included the installation of a community meeting space, changes in car-parking restrictions and a diversion of trucks from the main street.
Meeting attendees viewed drawings for plans to plant a strip of Norfolk pines towards the beach from the town’s shopping strip.
“We’d have a themed look of the trees with connectivity to the main strip,” Mr Fendyk said.
Discussion was divided between participants wanting to maintain culture and history and other seeking changes, he said.
“Generally, it was optimistic because we’ve got people who’ve been around here for a while who saw this is an opportunity for finally something to be done.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for the town to get behind it and put forward their views.”
