ABOVE: Kyogle main street.
Susanna Freymark
The struggle between trees and car spaces on Summerland Way has been contentious since the Kyogle CBD Masterplan was shown to the public.
After the latest community consultation, a revised CBD plan has gone on public exhibition for 28 days.
This was announced at the Kyogle Council meeting on March 13.
At the meeting Councillor Rob Cullen said he wanted the exhibition period extended to three months to give people more time to respond.
Mayor Kylie Thomas said the CBD upgrade process started in 2019 and she wasn’t keen on a longer response period.
“Parking was of paramount concern then,” Ms Thomas said.
The CBD draft plan has since been revised.
“We are on the home stretch,” she said. “The majority of feedback has been positive.”
Mr Cullen wanted to know how many car spaces would be lost on Summerland Way in the upgrade.
In the November 2021 draft of the CBD upgrade, 24 parking spaces were lost.
At the time, Kyogle Council’s planning and environment director Chris White said maintaining an adequate level of town centre parking was clearly a priority.
“However, we also need to create a more attractive town centre environment to encourage visitors and shoppers to Kyogle in larger numbers, and to support businesses and events,” Mr White said.
“The introduction of shade trees and other landscaped areas is an important component … and provides respite and relief during our hot summer months.”
And the main street of Kyogle does get hot, especially in the afternoon sun.
Mr White said he couldn’t answer Mr Cullen’s query and would take the question “on notice”.
The council has since clarified the numbers of car spaces on Summerland Way.
There will be a loss of 23 car spaces on Summerland Way.
Ms Thomas said the new plan had found a further 89 car spaces by “broadening our perspective”.
The revised plan incorporates 461 car parking spaces across the CBD by including those in streets no more than a block from Summerland Way.
The proposed mix of parking spaces is:
• 241 bays on Summerland Way: 50 on the western verge (including five wheelchair accessible bays and two loading bays), 142 central median bays, 49 on the eastern verge (including three wheelchair accessible bays and one loading bay).
• 113 bays on Bloore St
• 40 bays on Stratheden St
• 47 bays on Geneva Street.
• 20 bays on Roxy Lane.
The original CBD proposal showed 372 CBD parking spaces.
The revised plan shows 461 car spaces across the CBD which gain of 11 spaces from what is available now.
You can download the Kyogle CBD plan here.
Residents can give feedback on the draft plan by making a submission to council. Submissions must be made in writing and received no later than Wednesday, April 12 at 5pm.
Submissions can be made via the Lodge A Submission page on kyogle.nsw.gov.au or by emailing council@kyogle.nsw.gov.au or by writing to The General Manager, Kyogle Council, PO Box 11, Kyogle, NSW 2474.
Have your say on the Kyogle CBD plan at drop-in event
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