With just over a week until the public meeting, debate surrounding the Station Street upgrade plans continue.
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The plans have been on public exhibition since August 16 and a public meeting is planned for September 20 at St Jude’s.
One group that will attend the meeting and seek answers to their questions will be Highlands Matters.
Public officer Alan Olsen recently sent a letter mayor Ken Halstead outlining the groups’ concerns and issues they would raise at the meeting.
The letter said the issue of what would happen to the pin oaks, camellias and elm trees which currently reside along Station Street was a “critical one”.
“There is a groundswell of opinion that the only way to preserve this total landscape for future generations is to reject and reverse the proposed Station Street Upgrade.”
The concept of the upgrade came from a recommendation of the Bowral Parking Traffic and transport Strategy in 2012.
In the letter Mr Olsen argued the data used for this recommendation should be reviewed.
Parking is another issue which Mr Olsen said the community wants to explore at the meeting, as well as the project’s objectives and a timeline of the proposed works.
A council spokesperson said the future of the vegetation along Station Street and parking had been the two main issues raised by the community.
They said designers had worked hard to retain what they could of the avenue of pin oaks.
Most of the heritage camellias will be moved to another location on Station Street as part of the upgrade.
The major visual changes will include the realignment of the road at the northern entrance to Bowral and the replacement of the lights with a roundabout at Bundaroo Street.
Where the Woolworths service station is will become a one-way service road.
The roundabout at Boolwey Street will become traffic lights and some of the parking will also be moved to Kirkham Street.
The spokesperson said some people had expressed concerns for their personal safety if parking on Kirkham Street.
However part of the plans include the installation of a path and improved lighting.
They said there had been mixed reactions from the 100 plus people who had visited the pop up stall over the past few weeks but many had felt more comfortable about the proposal once they had a closer look. Visit www.yoursaywingecarribee.com.au/SSU for more information.
