Orange City Council is encouraging motorists to find out about new parking arrangements in Lords Place South, between Summer and Kite Streets.
A range of new shared spaces are being created along the block in an effort to make the precinct more pedestrian-friendly and encourage people to gather.
The spaces include shade structures, seating areas, dining decks and safety treatments such as bollards and concrete blocks.
New parking arrangements include 15 parallel parking spaces and 27 rear-to-kerb, 60-degree parking spaces and three disabled spaces.
SHADE: Shade structures built over open-space areas, are part of the Lords place South design.
Orange Deputy Mayor Gerald Power is asking residents to be patient while the community settles in to using the street in a new way.
“The whole Future City upgrade is about making the switch from a car-focussed area to a pedestrian-focussed area. It’s about creating an attractive space where more people will want to spend more time,” Cr Gerald Power said.
“Lords Place has the potential to be a great place to meet up with friends, not only to be a place to park, do a quick task and then drive away again.”
The new arrangements mean that someone who wants to stay in Lords Place for more than 30 minutes during the day will now park in a nearby street or car park.
The new daytime parking time limits (8.30am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am – noon Saturdays) will be for 15 minutes in the precinct’s parallel parking spaces and 30 minutes in the 60-degree parking spaces.
“Like any change, it will take some time to adjust to this new way of using Lords Place South so I’m asking people to be patient while we all get used to this change,” Cr Power said.
Along with the new parking arrangements in Lords Place, there will be changes to time-limited parking in the Ophir Car Park. In the coming weeks paid parking will return in most of the Ophir Car Park once signage and line marking is updated.
New two-hour limits will also come into force on the Kite Street and Lords Place sides of the car park. The two hours spaces are free parking.
The all-day zone of the car park is $3 a day, $44.50 a month, $133.50 for three months or $272.50 for six months. To pay for a day, use the machines on site in the car park, or for longer periods contact council for a longer parking permit.
“As part of creating a pedestrian-friendly CBD, the aim is to encourage people to drive to a convenient car park and then walk to a shop from there,” Cr Power said.
“That’s why Council is exploring options to build a multi-level car park which would double the amount of parking at the Ophir Car Park.”
