Community centre and theatre get go ahead

Gosford Council has approved the proposed community centre and theatre at McMasters Rd.

Councillor Lynne Bockholt said the project had been two-and-a-half years of hard work.

"It should go to tender as soon as possible," she said.

"We're all looking forward to it and it will be worth it.

"I can't wait."

Cr Bockholt said about 12,000 people used the centre per week.

The proposal is to construct a new community centre over the existing carpark, demolish the existing building and construct a carpark in that location.

The theatre will have a capacity of 120 people.

Council received four submissions and a petition objecting to the proposal.

Council had previously decided to demolish the existing centre because of the high cost and functional problems associated with upgrading the two-storey facility.

The new centre will have a gross floor area of 2159square metres and an external covered area of 145square metres.

The building will house areas for administration, seniors, arts and craft, martial arts, a multi-purpose hall, youth services, child care, dance studio and five meeting rooms.

The theatre building will have a gross floor area of 491square metres and an external covered area of 29 square metres.

The theatre will contain a 120-seat auditorium, foyer, stall, dressing rooms, servery, box office and an office.

Some of the key issues considered in approving the proposal included flooding and drainage, car parking, traffic, potential noise and public submissions.

Council records identified the site as an area that was significantly affected by flooding and drainage problems.

Council's director of development and the environment, Mr John Murray, said stormwater generated by the development would be collected in a system of gutters, pits and pipelines and discharged via an on-site detention structure into Council's stormwater drainage system.

"The additional stormwater generated by the development will not significantly impact on the adjoining properties nor properties downstream.

Car parking will have a shortfall of 12.4 per cent of spots under that required under Council's development control plan (DCP).

The DCP requires a minimum of 112 parking spaces for the proposal.

The proposal has provision for only 103.

Mr Murray suggested going ahead though because the use of parking would be staggered between the centre and theatre and therefore 103 spots would be adequate and the shortfall was minimal.

During the construction of the new centre, which would be built over the existing car park, customers would have to park in nearby Ross St and McMasters Rd.

The construction was expected to take about nine months.

Council's acoustic consultants, Caleb Smith Consulting, said noise would not be a problem.

Mr Murray said: "The consultant has concluded that provided recommendations are implemented, noise from the community centre will not have an adverse impact upon nearby residents."

Public submissions, which were against the proposal, raised several issues.

"The proposed 1.8 metre high metal-clad fence will be graffitied and damaged by vandals and the environmental effect will be that Rowan St will be blocked off from the south easterly cooling breezes during summer," one submission claimed.

Mr Murray said a condition could be applied to ensure that any graffiti appearing in the area would be removed as soon as possible.

Other residents were concerned the project would have a detrimental effect on real estate values in the area.

Mr Murray said: "There is no evidence the facility will affect real estate values."

Carl Spears, June 14