Despite some concerns from the community, Geelong council has resolved to sell sections of land and rework a major intersection in central Ocean Grove.
The curved section of road connecting The Parade to Hodgson Street will be squared up, opening up new land for sale.
A council carpark and a small municipal reserve will also be sold, while other council car spaces on The Parade will be lost to the new road reserve.
The changes to the streetscape and sale of council land have been proposed since the adoption of the Ocean Grove Urban Design Framework (UDF) in 2014 to “act as a catalyst for the redevelopment” of the area.
Of the 90 submissions received by the council through its community engagement in March and April this year, only 10 supported the changes unconditionally, with the remainder objecting to all or parts of the proposal.
The biggest concern expressed by residents was the loss of public carparks, however, the UDF requires off-set or replacement carparks for any redevelopment and council has made clear the sale of land will be conditional on those replacements.
Other objections raised issues such as the loss of the reserve’s green space, overdevelopment of the town centre and negative impacts on traffic flow.
Mayor Stretch Kontelj said the sale would support improvements to the town centre.
“This decision reflects council’s commitment to working with the community to improve the precinct to meet the needs of a growing area,” he said.
“We thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback and help shape the outcome.”
Councillor Andrew Katos, who chairs the City Planning portfolio, said the sale was a step toward realising the community’s broader vision for the town centre.
“These sites have the potential to better support local business and improve town centre accessibility for locals and visitors,” he said.
“The sale moves us closer to realising the community’s vision for a town centre that maintains Ocean Grove’s unique character and identity.”
Visit yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/proposed-land-sale-ocean-grove for more information.
