Respecting the heritage of the area and traffic management are among the priorities for the future of Kiama's town centre, the municipality's mayor says.
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Kiama council has released the final Kiama Town Centre Study, which aims to provide a clear direction for future development of the town centre.
The study will guide future work within the town centre.
According to council, the study is the result of more than a year's work by council, consultants and the community.
"It lays out the future of Kiama basically, and gives clearer guidelines for the type of town we want in the future," Kiama Mayor Mark Honey said.
"(Key focuses should be) the respect for the heritage of the area and the amenity of the township itself.
"Also involved in this is identifying the need for a traffic and parking study to be done, and then a strategy to be worked out for the future of traffic and parking in Kiama."
The study includes a character statement developed through the collaboration between council, consultants and the community.
"The Kiama town centre has an attractive, relaxed seaside town character with connected open spaces that celebrates the scenic qualities of the location and promotes the history of the place and its people," it says.
"The centre is a comfortable and attractive place to access and walk around with reduced traffic congestion. It provides a mix of retail and services for locals and visitors, day to day, in the evenings and on weekends during every season of the year."
The study also contains 47 recommendations to help achieve and retain the desired character of Kiama's town centre.
There are also priority projects, of significant strategic importance, which council says will have a major impact on the town centre.
The recommendations have been fed into an implementation strategy, "to ensure the community's vision for the town centre is properly implemented".
The initial priorities have been identified as: LEP Heritage Review, Traffic and Parking Study, 'Way Finding' Signage Review, DCP Review and rezoning two council sites.
The study recommends rezoning 11 Manning Street, Kiama (council's administration building) to allow council administration and commercial activity on the site.
This rezoning would allow building(s) up to five storeys, keeping council in the centre of town and meeting the high demand for commercial floor space.
The study also recommends allowing residential buildings up to seven storeys on part of the site of the soon-to-be-vacated Blue Haven nursing home in Havilah Place.