WILLIAMTOWN could be home to a total of seven fast-food restaurants after another development application (DA), worth $6.2 million, was lodged with Port Stephens Council this month.
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Crawford Robinson is the company behind the proposal, dubbed a "tourist facility and subdivision", which could see land on the corner of Cabbage Tree Road and Nelson Bay Road subdivided into six lots to make way for three fast-food restaurants and a native plant garden, with other additional allotments left over.
It is the same site Crawford Robinson has been pushing for years as an $80 million bulky goods development which would see the land rezoned from Zone 1 (a) (Rural General Zone) to Zone B5 (Business Development).
The application comes just four months after another application, worth $11.5 million for land adjacent to the existing McDonald's, was lodged to house a 50-room hotel, bottleshop and three food outlets.
Manager and part-owner of the land, Edward Crawford, said this application would help fill a void at the entrance of an important part of Port Stephens, as well as providing job opportunities.
"This facility responds to the observed demand at this major arterial intersection, an important strategic location in the Port Stephens LGA [Local Government Area]," Mr Crawford said.
"Around 11 million vehicles pass this location each year. This DA will provide the local community with an opportunity to capital[ise] on that demand, and to create jobs and economic prosperity."
He said the company had been working with the council.
"We have been working with council for several years, and have a rezoning proposal under consideration," he said.
"We believe that [the] council supports this plan.
"Port Stephens Council is doing its own strategic planning around the airport, to identify economic opportunities that will allow the community to create economic value from that demand. We intend to work collaboratively with council."
The "tourist facility" would take up a 2500 square metre landscaped area with native plants and a walking path showing the indigenous and European history of the area. It would also include picnic tables and shaded areas.
It is proposed as part of the application to construct a roundabout on Cabbage Tree Road to provide an intersection into the development.
A council spokeswoman said that there had been consultation with RMS, which would not support direct access on to Nelson Bay Road.
The application also includes 130 car park spaces on site, and proposed operating hours of 5am to midnight.
