Marara St Church Development Objection · MCU17/0005

Clayton and Vicky Francis
PO Box 17
Cooroy QLD 4563
[email protected]
(07) 54477383

The Assessment Manager
Noosa Council
Po Box 141
Tewantin QLD 4565
[email protected]
(07)53296500

Dear Sir/Madam
RE: PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION – OBJECTION
APPLICATION NO: MCU17/0005
Public Notification of Development Permit for Material Change of Use of Premises – Entertainment and Dining Business Type 2 – Recreation, amusement & fitness (paintball and children’s indoor play centre) associated with premises at 113 Marara Street, Cooroy over land described as Lot 2 on RP225978.
As the landowners of 141 Marara Street, Cooroy we would like to lodge an objection to the proposed development at 113 Marara Street, Cooroy due to the inadequacy of Marara St to accommodate any increases in traffic and potential issues with parking. The road in its current form could only be considered a single carriageway, gravel country lane suitable to service a few rural landholdings. For our purposes, that is acceptable and the road is well maintained by council. When the neighbouring Church meets on a Sunday, the road is completely inadequate for the increased traffic but we have accepted this as the church was operational when we purchased the property, Sunday meeting is their core business and we do not wish to be disruptive and mostly because this event occurs for a couple of hours once a week at a prescribed time and we know to avoid or be extremely careful using the road at this time.
We note in the developer correspondence that they state there have been no incidences on the road in the past 10 years. We do not know what he bases this statement on but can assure you this is incorrect.  We personally have attended a serious accident, also our tenants have been involved in a serious accident, another accident occurred only a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday involving two vehicles and the near misses have been too numerous to count.
The fact that it appears to be a country lane seems to lead some users to the idea that there will be no other traffic, that the road is solely for the use of the church (a major issue now is people pulling out of the church carpark without looking left for oncoming traffic), that you can stop or park in the middle of the road, that you can speed, that you don’t give necessary caution to single lane and low visibility sections, that you do not stop to allow one car at a time to traverse the single lane section and makes the road more dangerous than necessary. Any increase in traffic will only make those issues worse.
Since April we have also noticed an increase in foot and cycle traffic, for example one family walking out to the church from the Library carpark with two small children and a pram. They were walking up the centre of the road with the children running ahead and I met them at a single lane section with low visibility. Another ‘Dad’  that same week was riding his pushbike with a baby on the back and two small children on pushbikes riding abreast, taking up the width of the road. We sometimes have people walking their dogs up this road but we have never before known of it attracting families on foot or cycle. In the first week of the April School holidays 2017 when we first found out about the Café/Playmaze, I kept records and photos of the traffic movements at Marara St.
Although we would be sad to lose the country lane feeling we feel that with any increased traffic movement the road must be made safe. We feel that permission should only be allowed for the proposed development to go ahead if the road is significantly upgraded to two lanes with clear visibility and properly bitumened before there are any further increases in traffic movements.  In January this year some roadworks were undertaken by the developer which decreased the condition of the road enormously and had to be repaired by council. We have concerns now about any future roadworks that are to be carried out by the developer. We do not have any issue with dust as that is what you expect when you live on a dirt road.
We would also like to ensure that before the proposal is approved, matters around parking are properly considered. We have noted that the extension to the church building has reduced the amount of parking available. We feel that the development proposal greatly underestimates the expected numbers. On Saturday 16th September at 1pm there were 23 cars in the car park and 1 parked across the road. At the peak of the church popularity a few years ago there would be 70 - 90 vehicles parked every Sunday. That requires both carparks and the roadside. Frequently vehicles are parked on the grass on the opposite side of the road to the church, facing the railway. This happens even when the carpark is not full. This means that vehicles are entering Marara Street from both sides of the road and while leaving the carpark they are channelled out the driveway, forward-facing in single file, leaving the roadside opposite, they can enter at anytime or place, in any number and often in reverse.
Our objection is not against the Church moving forward and further developing their business interests but we feel strongly that any increase in traffic on Marara Street cannot happen safely without major upgrading of the road. Currently it is highly unsuitable even for the traffic it currently carries.
Yours sincerely
Clayton and Vicky Francis