A comprehensive plan to lift the profile and freshen-up The Entrance to attract visitors all year round and boost the local economy is now out for community consultation.
This is the second phase of The Entrance Place Plan, which has been updated to take in ideas and projects brought forward by the public in the initial consultation in July 2020.
The draft Place Plan looks at The Entrance Town Centre in detail under five precincts: the town centre, the waterfront plaza, Memorial Park, coastal walk 1 and coastal walk 2.
Coastal walk 1 links the plaza along the lake to Picnic Point west of the town centre, and coastal walk 2 links Memorial Park with The Entrance Beach and the surf life saving club.
The Entrance Place Plan doesn’t relate to the channel or the lake, as the State Government has appointed a special taskforce to look at those areas.
Central Coast Council commissioned Artscape at Tuggerah to prepare the Place Plan with the purpose to move The Entrance from decline into a new start-up stage and create a framework for new growth.
The Place Plan sets out short-term initiatives which will provide benefits more quickly, with some changes expected to be seen throughout 2021, while medium and longer term goals will take place over coming years.
Community feedback from the first phase of consultation sent key messages: to focus on the locals; keep The Entrance well maintained and as a safe, accessible place; connect with the natural environment; bring art and culture into the everyday; lift the profile and quality of what’s on offer in the town; activate the night life; and, promote the “top end” of town.
The Place Plan sets a diverse and detailed range of goals, from quick, small scale and do-able projects through to significant infrastructure projects, with the aim of accessibility, to enliven the town with entertainment and recreation as the go-to destination on the Coast, and boost the local economy.
It’s a long list of goals and ideas, too long to go into here, but just a few are: to investigate a shuttle bus service into the town centre from outlying neighbourhoods; smarten-up the cleanliness and quick removal of graffiti; revamp lighting for safety as well as creative light installations; revitalise murals, public art and signage; introduce an arts and culture scene; focus on natural environment attractions to build on the iconic pelican feeding; and, step-up the night time economy with family friendly events in the plaza and park while developing the top end of town into a sophisticated dining and entertainment precinct.
On the business front, the Place Plan talks about a concentrated marketing program, a Spend Local campaign and a Business Kick Start project.
The Place Plan framework identifies “anchor” points in the town centre and how best to connect the various precincts, each with their distinct character, but to create a greater whole.
The Artscape report says that the primary goal is not for the precincts to compete with each other but historically there have been concerns that waterfront activities have not “travelled” up the main street for the added benefit of businesses there.
The report says that waterfront activities have been successful, however, the “top end” of town and the main street need their own approach, independent to the waterfront, and with their own personality to “bookend” the waterfront activities.
Sue Murray
We need to seriously consider and improvise street closures to make areas safer and more user friendly for Families, Visitor’s and Pedestrian traffic, This was mooted many years ago at several meetings promoted by Council with Developers and Major Land and Property Holders. Reinvestigate a pedestrian bridge across the water linking The Entrance and The Entrance North with a marine theme to attract Tourist Visitation. Investigate the implementation of New Guidelines for vacant and deteriorating Development Sites.
I am a local, since moving here 2 years ago, The Entrance has been very disappointing and I avoid The Entrance shopping area. Empty shops, one arcade containg what was perhaps 5shops…the ceiling collapsed about 18months ago & no change, just barriers.Police in open view would be comforting as some visitors display poor behaviour. If I have visitors we go to Shelley Beach, Terrigal or Avoca. I feel safer. Artwork isnt the answer. Open shops, less alcohol, patrolling police, keep the water lake edges clean. The riadways surrounding are always stacked with rubbish, renters & short term stayers, DO NOT ring council for pickups…sort it, otherwise I go elsewhere
Local government is nothing more than a glorified strata manager,if your not satisfied the manager sack them.
Parking is a big issue for all small business. Gosford council building for the city does not comply with council own parking requirements,also the the park across the league’s club I believ does not provide enough parking space for the community and tourist alike, let’s talk about the parking for the football stadium and the donnison street closure for insufficient road infrastructure.Back to the park opposite the league’s club has the engineer’s report comply to councils as per councils development control plan DCP relating to the (pmf) possible maximum flood event for that site
As for stragistic planning Narara had neighbourhood zoning but the deptment of education purchased the site and council left Narara without facilities for the community.
I believe all the retail shops in Gosford that have paid the parking levies for this short fall for their commercial space council should provide free parking space close to their premises,they paid for it, all somake provisions on the street for their customers without time limit. council did purchase the building opposite kibble park and used it for carparking but sold it, lost the parking and not replacing what it offered not only that council denied the community transparency and inform the community what is happening with their assets and facilities. I heard Gosford council had a n audit done and refused to release the report to the public.
I think someone should investigate the amount of times council has been taken to the land and environment court and ask why they spent so much money on legal fees and lost.
I bee leavemg at the central coast 16 years and the entrance has been neglected by the council and by the govermmt we hear they gonna do this and that at the end nothing gets done 60%of the shops all empty not a decent restaurant in there the channel all the sand has gonne on the other sides don’t if they don’t do something soon it wan’t be nothing there for the amount of visitors they get there very disappointed and I think a lots of people ebree with me it’s time to do something or the entrance will be forgotten
All strawberries to a pig solutions. Resolve the poor shopping, parking and pathetic traffic thoroughfares before wasting more ratepayers money.