Muddle-headed short-term thinking
In the Gosford Local Government Area, there are many pubs which are required to provide parking for their patrons.
In fact, I believe there is a formula based on the length of bar space and other factors. Patonga Pub includes accommodation which results in a number of spaces most of which are to be provided on the site as part of the development process.
Is a disabled visitor expected to park across the road when staying in accommodation?
I am not aware of any licensed premises where some if not all patrons who are not walking, drive across the footpath to access the car park, if not adjacent to the pub or other licensed venues then sometimes across the road.
Why now is it that the likelihood of pedestrian and vehicle conflict is being identified as reason to remove the requirement for onsite parking which was a part and parcel of the initial development approval process?
Those nine councillors have ignored the fact that our roads are for access and as population densities increase the need for access becomes more important.
Hence developments whatever they are should be mandated to require all their assessed parking requirements on private property.
Gosford Council has for years refused to plan for a future in Umina CBD.
They have ignored the real need for rear access to commercial properties.
When the opportunities presented for council to acquire residential property and remove the need for large trucks to park illegally in main streets while delivering and picking up goods.
Big transport companies have had it pointed out to them anywhere their drivers park illegally to work, constitutes an unsafe workplace, attracts an unwelcome liability which includes and puts at risk those pedestrians who come vicariously into those illegal workplaces.
Gosford Council should come to grips with its state mandated responsibilities to ratepayers.
What has been approved in Patonga is the result of muddle-headed short-term thinking by elected representatives, the same representatives who have accommodated the conversion of many of our public footpaths to commercial use favouring some business while disenfranchising others.
The idea of a main street commercial frontage is being devalued by dodgy developments on the footpaths.
Email, 30 Oct 2009
Edward James, Umina