2015-11-10 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                           10 NOVEMBER 2015


The applicant’s submission regarding the availability of parking is collaborated by the letters of
support provided from the adjacent existing community uses. Seven aerial photographs of the
carpark over recent years all also indicate low occupancy rates and this has also been the
observation of staff when visiting the site. The proposed not-for-profit community use of the
existing public carpark aligns with the community use intent for the carpark and is supported in
this instance.


4.   CONSULTATION
4.1. IDAS Referral Agencies
Not applicable.
4.2. Public Notification
The application was publicly notified for 15 business days in accordance with the Sustainable
Planning Act 2009. 25 properly made submissions were received, comprising 24 letters of
support and 1 objection. Letters of support appear to be predominantly from members or
associates of the Group and highlight the important community work it undertakes and the
current unsatisfactory state of its premises. These issues raised in the objection are detailed
below.

 Objection Issues                             Comments

 Land was not identified in the town plan for The 300m2 site was road reserve and has been
 development.                                 permanently closed to facilitate its community use
                                              similar to the adjacent cluster of community uses
                                              to the west.

 Open space within Cooroy is rapidly          Cooroy has significant areas of community open
 disappearing.                                space and the small road closure does not
                                              significantly impact on these.

 Car parking in the area is at a premium.     This does not appear to be the case for the public
                                              parking to the west, which has been observed to
                                              normally have low occupancy. It is considered the
                                              parking demands of the development can easily
                                              be accommodated in that area.

 The road is too narrow to handle the The effective road width remains unchanged.
 current traffic on it, with trucks already There is to be no change in the road formation
 having to U-turn in the area.              width and the development maintains the building
                                            line established by the adjacent SES building.

5.   CONCLUSION
The proposed Cooroy Genealogy Group building is a consistent community use on the site. It will
be relatively low impact and in keeping with the developed character of the existing cluster of
adjacent community uses. The development proposes to utilise existing parking capacity within
the public carpark immediately to the west. Parking demand created by the Group should be
readily accommodated and its use is considered to align with the community use intent for that
carpark. The offsite parking proposal is therefore supported in this instance and the application
recommended for approval, subject to conditions.




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