INSIDE THE BUGLE 9-22 MARCH
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that line the car park. Level 33 bought the car park from Kiama Council for $28 million in mid-December 2022. As well as the obvious threat of damaging cars, the potholes had gotten so big that they posed a serious risk of causing personal injury to anyone walking through the lot at night. There’s still no word yet on when construction of the $66 million development will begin, which will see 82 residential units, 24 retail Kiama motorists rejoice! premises, two supermarThe potholes consuming the kets and 344 basement car Akuna Street car park have parking spaces built on the been filled in, which should current lot. The DA is still help you skip your next under review and must first wheel-alignment. be approved by the Southern Workers confirmed to The Regional Planning Panel Bugle that Level 33, the own- before work can begin. ers of the car park, arranged A representative from Level to fill in the many potholes 33 told The Bugle that the
POTHOLES FINALLY FILLED
Kiama residents have a clearer understanding of what the proposed $66 million development on Akuna Street will look like after the developers, Level 33, made a trove of new documents available for exhibition. Last month, Level 33 lodged its initial development application, which will see 344 basement car parking spaces, 24 retail premises, two supermarkets and 82 residential units built on the property. With the latest round of documents lodged, residents will have some of their lingering questions answered, while other issues remain unresolved, such as what residents and workers who currently park their cars at the Akuna Street car park will do once construction begins. Visuals One of the most immediate aspects of the development that will impact everyone, from residents to workers to
tourists, is the visual amenity. Kiama Council controversially agreed to raise the building height limit for Akuna Street to six storeys after selling the property to Level 33, leading residents to question how much of the town’s skyline the new building will occupy. The latest Visual Impact Assessment created by Urbaine Design Group shows exactly how much of the horizon will be blocked, especially for those already living on Akuna Street where the building height limit was not increased. Traffic One of the recently lodged documents was a Traffic Impact Assessment commissioned to Traffix, which shows that 163 of the planned 344 parking spaces will be reserved for residents of the above dwellings, while 181 parking spaces will be set aside for supermarket and retail shoppers and workers. The development
will also include 21 adaptable car spaces for residents, and one accessible car space for visitors. For the retail component, there will be eight accessible car spaces. The Traffic Impact Assessment also looked at the impact that increased traffic will have on the centre of the town, stating that “...the development proposal will not result in any unacceptable traffic implications, and all nearby critical intersections are expected to continue to operate satisfactorily, and as such, there are no road improvements or intersection upgrades required.” The report showed that there will be 136 additional vehicle trips per hour (cars going in and out of the car park) during the morning peak period, and 490 trips per hour during the afternoon peak. The Bugle has previously asked Kiama Council and Level 33 about where
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company has received various offers to introduce paid parking to Akuna Street but has decided to leave it free for public use at this stage. Residents who use the car park are still in the dark as to where they will park once construction begins. Kiama Council says “Parking considerations are being undertaken as part of the assessment,” while Level 33 says it's looking to work with the community to help provide a solution. We want to hear your ideas. Do you have any solutions for Kiama’s parking predicament? Is there anywhere in town that residents and workers can park during the day without fear of parking fines?
Brendon Foye
DRAMA ON TERRALONG STREET
In a dramatic incident that unfolded outside the Woollies at the roundabout Thursday 7th March, a car collided with the orange construction barricade, resulting in a visually jaw dropping yet Continued on Page 9 potentially dangerous scene.
While the precise details of the incident remain unclear, what is certain is that no injuries were reported at the accident site. Swift and coordinated action by local law enforcement, fire department per-
sonnel, and traffic controllers ensured a rapid response to the situation. The immediate deployment of a crane facilitated the safe removal of the vehicle, allowing traffic to resume smoothly. More information to come..