Kingston councillors vote to narrow Beach Rd from Mentone to Mordialloc for bay trail build but may have to reconsider

PLANS to narrow a stretch of Beach Rd and remove parking spaces to build a bay trail have been approved — but opponents haven’t given up the fight.

Residents voice their concern over plans to narrow Beach Rd between Mentone and Mordialloc. Picture: Andrew Batsch

DESPITE a community campaign to prevent it, Kingston councillors have voted to narrow Beach Rd and remove some parking spaces to build the final stretch of the bay trail.

The plan was proposed by deputy mayor Rosemary West in a bid to protect coastal vegetation from removal for the path.

The loss of angled beach parking will be partially offset by the addition of kerbside parking spots along the four lane road but Leader understands there will be a total overall loss of at least 40 parking spaces.

Cr West argued there weren’t many cars parked on that stretch of Beach Rd “except for half a dozen on hot days in summer”.

“And on those days it probably isn’t a bad thing to slow traffic down by using a single lane,” she said.

Furious locals fear traffic congestion if the road is narrowed and parking shifted onto the roadside.

Beach Rd resident Robyn Nolan — behind a petition of about 1200 signatures, a letterbox drop and ‘Do Not Narrow Beach Road’ Facebook page — said she wouldn’t shy away from her fight.

“The dictatorship of the five councillors will not be tolerated by the community,” Ms Nolan said.

“To completely ignore community wishes and to push their personal agendas is outrageous and disgraceful.”

Cr West’s amended motion — based on standardising the road’s width to build a back-of-kerb trail with minimal vegetation removal — was carried last night, authorising work on designs, statutory approvals and construction to get started.

That would see the section between Mentone Lifesaving Club and Mordialloc’s Peter Scullin Reserve narrowed from an average of 14m to 12.7m near bus stops and foreshore carparks, 13.05m in areas of indented parking and 13.4m in remaining areas.

A notice of rescission has since been lodged meaning work can’t yet begin and a special council meeting called for April 3.

“I think the rescission is a time-wasting move to cause more trouble,” Cr West told Leader.

Cr Geoff Gledhill described last night’s vote as the lowest point for council “in terms of the treatment of the Kingston community”.

But Cr West maintained the need to save as much of Kingston’s “beautiful coastal bushland” as possible.