2019-12-10 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                               10 DECEMBER 2019


For confirmation, methodology used by the applicant’s traffic engineer is generally accepted
along with the subsequent proposed carparking rate (i.e. approximately 1 carpark per 1.4
persons) as sufficient to accommodate the number of vehicles likely to be generated by the
proposed use.
However, the proposal to utilise carparking at 5 Moorindil Street to assist achieving the required
onsite carparking is not acceptable on the basis that there are concerns with safety associated
with the pedestrian connection and form of tenure associated with the off-site car park at 5
Moorindil Street. The proposed lease over the car park at 5 Moorindil Street can be terminated at
any time with a 2 week notification period. Furthermore, the carparking area is non-exclusive to
the proposed development and not guaranteed to be available at any given time.
When car parking is proposed to be provided at a separate location to where the approved land
use is to occur it is normal practice to require the car park area to be secured by an easement.
This provides certainty that the car parking will be provided into the future and prevents
development occurring on the area proposed for car parking. In this instance the owners of 5
Moorindil Street have advised that they are not supportive of an easement being created over
their land.
Furthermore, the proposed onsite carpark is located 135m walking distance away from the
existing building and on the other side of an identified high volume distributor road (i.e. Poinciana
Avenue). Hence the proposed use of the off-site car park increases the risk of users of U3A who
would have to access the existing building across Poinciana Avenue as a pedestrian and
increases the risk to safety and efficiency of Poinciana Avenue. The car park is also currently
unsealed.
When it was first identified that the use was operating without a Development Approval U3A were
permitting up to 109 persons on site. U3A have amended their operations to limit the number of
attendees to a maximum of 57 people onsite at any time, consisting of 50 students; 5 tutors; and
2 volunteer receptionists’. It is acknowledged that there are times during the day when there is
significant demand for on street car parking in the area attributed to the day care facility,
playgroup and broader residential and commercial uses.
Due to the concerns with the proposed car parking at the church and the reliance on on-street
car parking spaces consideration has been given to limiting the number of persons that could
attend U3A to better align with the car parking on site and the demand for carparking within the
surrounding area. Limiting the number of persons on site would likely require the re-location of
classes to other facilities to enable U3A to continue to provide their current level of service. This
approach was discussed with representatives of U3A who expressed concern as the number of
attendees at the Poinciana Avenue facility have already been scaled back by conducting classes
at other venues. U3A advise that this has resulted in financial implications, noting that users pay
a nominal fee to attend classes. Furthermore, the re-location of classes has implications on the
social network which U3A provides for its members. It is acknowledged that in addition to the
valuable skills which can be developed via the U3A programs the social component of this facility
is also a very important community benefit of the service.
Noting the concerns raised by U3A regarding the implications on limiting the number of attendees
below that applied for and in order to examine other alternatives approximately 20 inspections
were conducted by Council officers to count car parking availability at different times of the day.
These inspections identified that on road carking availability was significantly more limited
between 9am and midday than after midday. The results of these inspections was relayed to U3A
with the suggestion that whilst limits to numbers would still likely be required that the limit would
be more stringent in the morning than in the afternoon. At a subsequent meeting with
representatives of U3A Council staff were again advised that any limit to attendee numbers
would be detrimental on the viability of U3A and for its capacity to provide a valuable service to
approximately 800 community members. At around the same time representatives of U3A also
met with Council’s Community Services Department to explore additional alternative sites.



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