Why didn’t someone come up with this Surf Parade plan in the first place?
It's no joke. The time to have your say on the extension of Inverloch’s Surf Parade pathway and whether or not the road should be reduced to one-way closes on April 1st. But here's details of an 11th hour compromise.
TIME is running out to have your say on the extension of Inverloch’s Surf Parade pathway and whether or not the road should be reduced to one-way between Ozone Street and Goroke Street.
Having voted in favour of one-way traffic, at its February meeting, so that both foreshore vegetation and carparking can be saved, the Bass Coast Shire Council is odds-on to go that way despite putting the proposal out for public consultation.
It’s only a coincidence that latest round of consultation ends on April 1st.
At the time, Cr Brett Tessari, told colleagues the loss of more than 50 metres of foreshore meant that there were only three options open to the council: (1.) A pathway with parking, which includes a one-way road between Ozone and Goroke streets, directing traffic back to town via Toorak Road, (2.) a two-road with pathway but no parking, or (3.) leave it as is.
But now, at the 11th hour, another option has emerged which strikes a previously unknown compromise.
The brainchild of four community members and engineers, who claim a two-way road, parking and pathway can fit within the existing road reserve without encroaching on the foreshore reserve, it has been circulated to councillors.
The group has arranged to meet with the council on Monday, March 30, two days ahead of the dealine.
They include Jim Higgs (a traffic engineer with 40+ years’ experience), Glenn Morris (civil engineer/project manager with 30+ years’ experience), Trevor Forge (retired licensed surveyor/project delivery manager with 40+ years’ experience) and Aaron Platkowski (traffic engineer with 20+ years’ experience) who have raised some valid questions about the proposed one-way scheme which warrant serious consideration.
“Jim, Trevor and I each started with the same question, what works are possible within the road reserve, while not encroaching on the foreshore reserve?” said Mr Morris.
“We have a 15.24m road reserve in which to accommodate a two-way road, carparking and shared pathway. Is this enough width for all three, therefore satisfying the community’s and council’s requirements?”
They found that it was.
“When we realised it was possible, we wondered why it hadn’t been considered possible before,” said Mr Morris.
“It’s even more practical if you apply acceptable design standards for the road width (5.5m) and carparking bay width (2.1m) as your standard cross-section,” he said.
“Jim and I have been working closely together on this once we became aware we were proposing similar ideas. Jim has taken this standard and developed a design concept which demonstrates how the proposal can fit into the Surf Parade road reserve.”
The design concept, he said, demonstrates it can be done by extending the road pavement on the northside by approximately 2 metres, still leaving a nature strip of approximately 4 metres in front of the 29 adjacent homes on the northern side of Surf Parade.
They considered a slight reduction in space between from boundaries and the roadway was a small price to pay for keeping a two-way road.
“Minimal vegetation would be removed on the north side to accommodate the road pavement extension,” said Mr Morris.
“We are firm in our view that the design concept meets the needs of the broader community by providing:
- Two-way Surf Parade roadway (5.5m width)
- Carparking along the south side (2.1m width)
- Shared pathway (2.5m width) and bollard/vegetation strips
- New fenceline along the ocean-side boundary of the road reserve
- Speed control chicanes at select points
- No encroachment into the foreshore reserve
“We have forwarded the proposal to each of the Bass Coast Councillors and relevant council officers for consideration,” he said.
“Hopefully, our design concept is given fair consideration, and we are given the opportunity to address any points of concern during a council officer review.”
The concept provides for 50 new carpark spaces along the south side of Surf Parade which is similar to the number of spaces possible with the one-way scheme, they say.
They’ve acknowledged that the views of the Surf Parade residents along the affected section of the road must be consulted but believe it’s a workable solution and a better compromise given the constraints of protecting the foreshore reserve.
“Jim, Trevor and I have walked the whole length of the northern side of the road and compiled a photographic record. Minimal vegetation would need to be removed and there is limited impact on the extent of the existing nature strip,” said Mr Morris.
He said he believes impacted residents would still prefer to be able to turn left, and drive into town as they do now, rather than exit via Goroke Street.
“Like any project of this nature, detailed design will refine the scheme in response to other constraints, local community feedback and operational matters that will be fleshed out during the design process but that also applies to the one-way proposition,” he said.
