PARKLAND in Soldiers Point could be sacrificed for car parking to help accommodate the $1.1 million expansion of the Soldiers Point Marina.
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Plans for the marina's expansion went back on exhibition for the fourth time in two years this month after hundreds of responses were received to the previous exhibition periods and long delays for further information.
Submitted by Clippers Anchorage, the amended development application still appears to make way for another 58 berths but also includes alterations to car parking.
The council will make a recommendation on the project, but the overarching consent authority will be the Joint Regional Planning Panel.
The exhibition documents include a proposal that valet parking be provided off site in an industrial area and that 31 spaces be created along Soldiers Point Road, with some at Spencer Park.
"This site contains parallel parking and the modification of this area to allow rear-to-kerb parking will increase the public parking spaces available within this area," the council's development assessment and compliance manager Matthew Brown said.
Mr Brown said the land was a combination of road reserve and council land but car parking was permissible under the RE1 public recreation zoning.
It is a suggestion which has enraged residents and members of the Soldiers Point Community Group (SPCG), with president Colin Howard saying Spencer Park was one of the best-known and utilised parks in the area.
"We can't quite see how the council can allocate our local parkland and the current car parking and have that included as part of the applicant's development application," he said.
"What most people don't know is that the council, in November 2011, indicated to the owner of the marina that the marina had not met the consent condition for the previous expansion of the marina, back in 2005.
"Now they want to knock down park trees to make room for car park spaces," Mr Howard said.
When asked the council was unable to elaborate as to whether an agreement had been made for the applicant to purchase, lease or use the land on Soldiers Point Road.
"Assessment of the proposal is ongoing and this will form a part of the assessment," Mr Brown said.
The SPCG group will host a community meeting at the Soldiers Point Bowling Club on February 5 from 7pm to discuss the matter and will ask the applicant and proponent to attend.
The exhibition documents have a new notification period, from January 30 to March 1, and can be viewed at Port Stephens Council Chambers and the Tomaree Library.
