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This site is dedicated to ‘George Town Issues’ and it is intended as a ‘soapbox’ upon which members of George Town’s Community of Ownership and Interest can share their visions, understandings and opinions.

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Anyone who wishes to use this site to voice an opinion may do so by submitting their contribution via email to TRA_Editor@7250.net

Monday, September 26, 2011

PARKING IN REGENT SQUARE (or RECTANGLE) - is there room for the Hub?

In 1935 a frontage along Macquarie St of 50 yds (42.43m) to the west and the east of the hall was 'resumed' from the gazetted "Public Recreation Reserve" of Regent Square for purposes of parking and other public services.
 
The 2008 Memorial Hall extensions with its commercial kitchen to cater for up to 250 people, also required an extra 120 parking bays.
 
See the Minutes of the George Town Council SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING – 6 MARCH 2007 
 
(Page 18, but the whole document makes interesting reading including Public Question Time – you'll find some interesting answers here!)
 

85/07 REDEVELOPMENT OF MEMORIAL HALL (BUILDING AND WORKS OF HISTORIC INTEREST) DA 2007/012

14. On site Parking

A detailed design plan of the proposed on site parking in accordance with the requirements of AS 2890.1 , 1993 Parking Facilities – Off Street Car Parking, shall be provided to incorporate a total of 120 car parking bays including at least two parking bays for the disabled and adequate turning provision for emergency and other service vehicles required to utilise the internal road network.

 

So the landscaped area at the end of the new Graham Fairless Centre, including several mature trees and the Soroptimists' Protea Garden, was bulldozed (without notification to the club!) and gravelled to make way for parking. Another parking area to the east of the hall where the children's playground is, is also shown on the Landscape Plan.
 
While the rest of the parking area has been sealed, the gravelled area at the end of the GFC has been left for the proposed Hub.
 
That "gravelled patch" where the Hub is proposed to be built is the planned site of at least 48 of these extra 120 parking bays! 
 
All of these are beyond the 42.43m mark!  [see the parking plan on the attachment]
 
So the final stage of the Hall & Surrounds Redevelopment (officially opened in 28 March 2008) was never completed.
 
The Lions Club Grevillea Garden with its mature trees and shrubs looks like going the same way of the Soroptimists' Garden to make way for the Hub! 
We all know how long it takes for such trees to mature, especially in public places and in this climate!
And what does this say about valuing the work of Service Clubs and volunteers in this community?
 

The LINC people and their Planning consultants tell us there is no need for extra parking for the Hub which is equal to the hall extensions, but if it is to attract 'everyone' to its comprehensive services and activities that are now located in the Community Health Centre (Hospital), Council Chambers, Neighbourhood House, Wattle Group or at one of the three schools, etc surely that should require some extra parking bays - or will they all travel by bus?

 

And who pays for the bus – not the state government we were told recently?

 

The most recent plans for the Hub show less than 50 parking bays more than were available before the Hall redevelopment. 

 

Only 17 of these are within the 42.43m frontage resumed for parking - 70 less than required for the hall extensions and no extras for the Hub! 

 

Count them for yourself on the Parking Plan:

Proposed Site Plan  http://www.georgetown.tas.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/LINC_Proposed_Site_Plan.pdf 

  

The Tasmanian Planning Commission Report on the 2010 Amendment advises: "whatever is eventually approved on the site, it should be so limited to not add to the parking provision on Regent Square outside that area resumed for the purpose in 1935."

 
Read the Full Report on the Amendment
 

So where will the extra required parking go?  Back behind the hall, further into the square? 

Parking already extends well beyond the 50 yd (42.43m) mark and will this continue?

 

WilI we see MORE 'retrospective" Amendments to the George Town Planning Scheme in relation to our Public Recreation Reserve?

 

GEORGE TOWN COULD END UP WITH A "REGENT RECTANGLE" in place of our "REGENT SQUARE" ???

 

Just in time for the Bicentenary celebrations of the 1811 visit of its planner, Governor Lachlan Macquarie – the so-called "Father of Australia" !

 

 

All Councillors should think on this carefully before they vote as a Planning Authority on 19 October........"Friends of Regent Square"

 

 

 

 

 

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1 comment:

Another Friend of Regent Square (or Rectangle) said...

FOLLOW THE BLUE DOTTED LINE on the "Proposed Site Plan" for the Hub to see where you'll have to go to get from Macquarie St to the park at the back of the Hall and the Hub once (IF) it's built.

Across the carpark, between the two buildings and along the back of the Graham Fairless Centre and past the illegal car park!

Let's hope they put a few seats and tables out there for a bit of a rest when you get there. And some tables would also be very acceptable.

Then we might see more people taking advantage of the open space to have a picnic or just have their lunch in the open air!

September 26, 2011 at 5:00 PM

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