New plans for commuter carpark
Construction of commuter carparking might be started in Woy Woy as soon as February next year by building extra levels on the Deepwater Plaza carpark, adjacent to the existing commuter carpark.
Plans to build on top of the existing commuter carpark approved by Gosford Council in September last year seem to have been shelved due to "time constraints and construction difficulties".
The new plan would see the existing single-deck carpark demolished and replaced with a four-deck structure.
The construction would take 13 months, during which time the bottom three levels of the commuter carpark would be devoted to shopper use, while a temporary commuter carpark would be provided adjacent to Woy Woy oval.
Gosford Council's manager of engineering services Mr John Cragg said that, following a meeting between Gosford councillors and the Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (TIDC) on October 20, it was revealed that a new proposal was being considered due to "time restraints and construction difficulties".
Council originally endorsed a proposal that involved expanding the carpark by 292 spaces by adding additional decks to the existing structure.
The new plan proposed by TIDC involves the construction of a carpark by exercising airspace rights held by council above the adjacent Deepwater Plaza car park.
Gosford councillors will meet on November 3, and are expected to support the recommendations put forward by Mr Cragg including council endorse the new plans by way of exercising airspace rights over Deepwater Plaza land providing the TIDC deliver a minimum net increase of 292 car parking spaces to Woy Woy.
Mr Cragg has also recommended to councillors that the general manager be delegated to execute a Heads of Agreement document between council and TIDC for construction and operation of the multi-storey commuter carpark, and to ensure TIDC adequately complies with the provisions of the Infrastructure SEPP and Part Five of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979.
According to a report prepared by council staff, the TIDC does not propose to lodge a development application for the carpark expansion project "as it has powers under the provisions of the new Infrastructure SEPP to progress developments to construction without development consent from the local council".
Based on investigations that found the original proposal was not feasible, the TIDC subsequently explored alternative locations within the Woy Woy CBD area as a site for a multi-deck commuter carpark, identifying Woy Woy Oval Carpark and Deepwater Plaza Carpark as potential locations.
"In negotiations with the TIDC, council officers strongly opposed the Woy Woy Oval proposal due traffic flow concerns and adverse town planning impacts associated with the Peninsula Urban Development Strategy," a council report stated.
"However, council officers encouraged further investigation of options utilising the council airspace rights above the existing single deck Deepwater Plaza Carpark.
"The TIDC subsequently prepared concept plans and entered into negotiations with council officers and the owners of Deepwater Plaza on a proposal to concurrently develop the Deepwater Plaza Carpark and the council airspace above.
"A key aspect to this proposal was demolishing the entire Deepwater Plaza single-deck carpark and replacing it with a multi-deck carpark structure of sufficient strength and standard to accommodate future commercial shops on the ground level.
"This proposal would have required Deepwater Plaza to contribute towards the additional strengthening works.
"Deepwater Plaza subsequently withdrew from these negotiations in October 2009 advising that they were not currently in a position to be involved in the TIDC carpark expansion proposal."
Council agenda CIT.55, 3 Nov 2009