Bass Coast Shire Council will begin work in coming weeks to replace a section of footpath in Marine Parade, San Remo.
The section of path, located in front of the Westernport Hotel on the corner of Marine Parade and Woolamai Grove, has been significantly impacted by tree roots which have lifted sections of the path creating hazards for pedestrians.
Maintenance has been undertaken over the years to repair the footpath and retain the trees, this included patching, replacing sections and grinding to level sections. The footpath has now reached a point where it requires to be replaced to ensure pedestrian safety.
In this instance three trees will be removed to prevent the footpath lifting in future. Council will install potted trees to replace the trees that have been removed. This supports Council's commitment to maintaining character of our towns and climate change mitigation.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Clare Le Serve emphasised safety as a priority for Council.
"Wherever possible we try to avoid removing mature trees but when it comes to our community's safety, we must put this first," Cr Le Serve said.
"The good news is that the trees will be replaced with large potted trees once the footpath is complete."
"It is sad to lose mature trees in San Remo's town centre, but I look forward to a safer footpath for our community as well as seeing the new pots and trees in place when the project is completed."
The replacement footpath will be plain, fibre reinforced concrete, as well as the inclusion of potted trees will ensure pedestrian safety and amenity for many years to come.
While planning the project, Council Officers have met with the adjacent businesses to ensure they are informed with regards to the project and that the impact to their business is minimised. Access to the Westernport Hotel and surrounding businesses will be maintained at all times.
We anticipate that the project will take approximately 4 weeks to complete with the new footpath ready by mid-May, weather permitting.
During the works there will be traffic and pedestrian control measures in place at times and there will be some noise, vibration and trucks for removal or delivery of materials. Our contractors will work to minimise the impact to pedestrians and businesses.
