The overhaul of Lords Place is imperfect and requires review in some areas, but will prove worthwhile for Orange.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
That's the view of councillor Jack Evans.
"I think probably it's time someone who voted in favour of Lords Place came out and said what they think of where we're up to," he told the Central Western Daily this week.
"I moved the motion and voted in favour of the Lords Place upgrade.
"... I'm still generally supportive of the project but there's obviously been some concerns raised."
The Colour City's youngest elected leader said he will continue to take community feedback and push for council staff to address challenges. Possible design changes will be considered.
![Orange City Councillor Jack Evans on Lords Place. Picture by William Davis. Orange City Councillor Jack Evans on Lords Place. Picture by William Davis.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177764495/a01c7e4e-ed03-4b72-a3af-2b1d15694918.png/r0_0_2000_1124_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think it's going to be ok. I don't think it was lost on anybody how challenging it was for businesses during the initial construction phase," Cr Evans said.
"I certainly felt for them but I tried to look at what is the long-term and bigger picture here and the long-term benefits.
"Things aren't the same as they were 25 years ago ... if we chose to sit on our hands and not do anything the headlines in five years would read: 'Orange's tired CBD,' and 'Counsellors invested in nothing'. So I think we're trying to be proactive and do something."
Cr Evans was critical of the failure to install outdoor furniture before winter, construction impact on businesses, and some communication with the community.
He said other elements including new trees and pot plants require time to mature, but have been executed very well.
"The fact of the matter is we're not going to get it perfect the first time and I don't think anyone's ever said we've got it perfect. We're going to try and revisit things and change until we get it right ... I think we've learned a lot," he said.
" ... Once it starts to come into spring and we've started to get ... a bit of colour in there I think we're really going to start to get an appreciation for how it's going to look, so patience and it'll look good."
![Orange City Councillor Jack Evans on Lords Place. Picutre by William Davis. Orange City Councillor Jack Evans on Lords Place. Picutre by William Davis.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177764495/de165b4b-f2b4-4fdd-a5dc-1befdb3554ca.png/r0_0_2000_1124_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ensuring work is completed quickly and revaluating parking requirements along the strip were listed as top priorities.
"There are other businesses I know that [are] certainly interested in street beautification but they're just concerned about the rollout," he said.
"I'm personally a bit critical of how long it's taken to get the dining decks ... because it's taken us so long to get it on there we've probably missed a bit of an opportunity.
"Probably the parking is the main concern [and getting] the furniture on non-used dining decks; I think that they're the two main things that need to happen."
He said the design is not static and he is open to considering changes.
"Some people are overly critical of the actual paint job itself, and I suppose it's a matter of personal taste but you know, like with anything you paint outside it doesn't last forever," he said.
"I suppose then there is scope in my mind ... as it deteriorates we can try different designs, different colours, or tone it down a little bit.
"I'm a big fan of the planted trees and the potted plants and I think when we revisit [councillor Melanie McDonell's] idea to get the schools involved in painting the pots I think that is going to be another asset to the street."
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.