DCC may make Uturn on future of George St

KEEPING Dunedin’s main shopping street a twoway route is back on the table after an independent review of Dunedin City Council plans.

Consultant urban designer Kobus Mentz reviewed the contentious plans for George St after the council reconvened its central city advisory group in July.

Council staff are now recommending councillors quash a previous endorsement to make George St a southbound oneway street.

Councillors will be asked instead to consider approving work on a design for a twoway pedestrianfriendly street that could, if desired, be converted to a oneway street.

The staff recommendation is based on a report from Mr Mentz that followed meetings with the council’s advisory group in August and October and a survey of interested parties.

In his 21page report, to be considered by the council’s planning and environment committee on Tuesday, Mr Mentz makes recommendations for the retail street’s design.

They are either a twoway street design with an environmentally friendly public transport service, or a oneway street without public transport, as initially envisaged.

A oneway street should be designed so it could be converted to a twoway street in future if an appropriate public transport service became available, he said.

Mr Mentz reported the advisory group valued a flexible design, the ability for traffic to move through the area, developing a quality public space where plantings and seating was available, extending the scope of the project into the Octagon, including an option for an electric bus service, and providing shortstay onstreet parking.

The provision of 45, largely P20 and P30 car parks was also recommended, along with better access to nearby public parking.

There was wide support for upgrading George St and for a design that improved accessibility for pedestrians and the ability for road users to share the street, Mr Mentz said.

If councillors give the goahead for work on a detailed business case and design for a twoway street, work would begin early next year, the staff report to the committee said.