East ward councillor John Nell has expressed renewed concern with the adequacy of Nelson Bay’s car parking amid review of a strategy designed to reinvigorate the CBD.
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“There needs to be a clear statement about public car parks in the strategy,” he said at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
“If someone’s going to make a section 94 [developer contribution] toward car parking they want to know the council is going to provide it.”
The Nelson Bay Town Centre and Foreshore Strategy was introduced in 2012 and underwent review this year, after there was little evidence it had facilitated investment in the precinct. The findings of this review were brought to council on Tuesday night.
The review included predicted profit margins for developers at different building heights with concern that a cap on heights had made the precinct financially unattractive.
In parallel to the review, council has entered into discussions with potential commercial partners to redevelop its two public car parks on Donald Street.
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The council had said it wanted to retain public car parking on those sites as part of any redevelopment. But the council’s development services manager Mike McIntosh said prior to Tuesday night’s meeting it might need to relocate that parking. This was based on the high cost to create basement car parking and community unease at seeing towers built on these sites of a sufficient height to offset those costs.
"Because we wanted to retain car parking on those sites we might have to look [at parking] on other sights," Mr McIntosh told the Examiner on Monday.
Cr Nell asked to defer public exhibition of the discussion paper to include an executive summary with a statement of intent on car parking.
Crs Jaimie Abbott and Giacomo Arnott also wished to defer the matter with concern about lifting building heights from 24.5 metres to 32 metres. Cr Arnott asked that council conduct a poll through its ‘Have Your Say’ web portal, on building heights.
The push to defer was defeated.
Cr Ken Jordan said it was time to get on with it.
“I thought you would have been in favour of this Cr Nell, after you’ve deferred it for 32 years,” he said.
Cr Steve Tucker supported the motion.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be achieved in delaying this,” he said.
“If anything the buildings need to be higher, with increased floor space ratios, so we can increase the green space around them.”
The debate intensified and Cr Jordan made a point of order about Cr Arnott using his mobile phone in the chambers.
Members of the gallery jumped to Cr Arnott’s defence with calls of “leave him alone”.
The general manager Wayne Wallis urged Cr Arnott to leave the gallery should he need to use his phone.
After a wide ranging debate, including the failed motion to defer, and defeated amendments, the council passed the officer’s recommendations.
The resolution as passed notes previous public submissions and endorses the draft Progressing the Nelson Bay Town Centre and Foreshore Strategy. The draft strategy will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days while council seeks expression of interest to form a panel to oversee the implementation of key actions.
Those for the motion were mayor Ryan Palmer and Crs Glen Dunkley, Ken Jordan, Sarah Smith and Steve Tucker. Those against the Motion: Crs Jaimie Abbott, Giacomo Arnott and John Nell.
