The days of traffic congestion outside St Phillip’s Christian College appear to be numbered with approval for the school to build a new car park.
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Port Stephens Council granted the school approval this month to build the 164 car space facility at 174 Salamander Way, adjoining the school.
So while principal Timothy Petterson said work won’t start immediately, he was hopeful it would pick up in the December-January school holidays.
“Council first has to get approval from OEH (Office of Environment and Heritage) to clear some vegetation so we can start preparing the site,” he said.
“We’re hopeful of having it finished by the end of 2018.”
In the meantime the school has other construction work to get on with. A senior school academic precinct worth $7.5 million will include lecture facilities, tutorial rooms and flexible learning rooms.
Dr Petterson moved to reassure neighbours and road users that the car park would alleviate congestion on the roundabout at Salamander Way and Bagnall Beach Road.
“The works will help in two key ways, firstly the length of the road leading into the school will allow cars to clear the roundabout more easily,” he said.
“The existing drop-off circle has not been functional for buses.
“So secondly, with the addition of 14 bus bays it will ease that traffic congestion coming into the school.
“It’s massively over engineered so it will serve us long into the future.”
The car park will require the relocation of a fire trail and removal of 2200 square metres of swamp sclerophyll forest. St Phillip’s has already purchased a bio-security offset at 100 Salamander Way and has agreed to plant extra trees at the car park.
Cr John Nell said there should also be a condition that the school deter any parking on the fire trail, popular with students on their provisional licence, with ‘no parking’ signs.
“It’s important that this fire trail remain serviceable in times of a fire,” he said.
Cr Sally Dover welcomed the development.
“This is a great opportunity for council to again work with St Phillip’s to ensure this school goes from strength to strength,” she said.
The relocation of the fire road will also enable the school to expand its sporting facilities.
The car park and new fire road are expected to cost $900,000.
