Revitalising what is probably the most prominent part of the Oamaru Victorian precinct is being led by the Project Harbour Street group, which plans a community planning meeting on May 7 for people to put their views.
The group came out of a working part established in January after a public meeting of more than 60 people discussed closing Harbour St.
Group chairman David Wilson said this week it was hoped to establish a ''way forward'' that the majority could live with after being put in the ''too hard basket''.
''Many believe Harbour St should be closed to traffic for many reasons, particularly now thousands of visitors to the precinct walk in danger each year,'' he said.
''Perhaps ultimately that is what will occur.''
In the meantime, there were options that could be pursued, and the meeting next month would discuss those in detail.
They included traffic being permitted to flow as present, pedestrians-only or traffic calming with set closure times.
In addition, strong support existed for enhancement initiatives to improve the physical appearance of the street.
These could incorporate permanent park bench seating and tables, litter bins, replica Victorian lights and post box, 19th-century replica advertising signs, floodlighting of the seaward side of the street's buildings, modern walls disguised with low-cost corrugated iron or timber facades, 21st-century street signage replaced with 19th-century-themed signage and removable bollards placed at both ends.
Oamaru had been working on the development of the Victorian Precinct as an iconic heritage tourism destination since 1985, and could justifiably proud of what has been achieved to date.
''Harbour St revitalised now will offer exciting opportunities for new authentic visitor experiences, business and marketing development,'' Mr Wilson said.
