The managing agents for Peninsula Plaza have outlined benefits to shoppers and residents if Central Coast Council sold part of Austin Butler Reserve to the shopping centre, with public submissions on the issue set to close on November 13.
The proposed sale has been a point of contention for months and was put on hold following community backlash, with Council Administrator Rik Hart putting the matter out for public consultation.
Residents are now faced with two options: retaining the land under Council ownership or selling it to Peninsula Plaza with the proceeds of the sale to be used for a greening program on the Peninsula.
Resident groups have been vocal in insisting the community should retain the entire treed reserve.
But Peter O’Donnell, a director of Krulis Commercial, managing agents for Peninsula Plaza, says the reserve is little used.
“The interface between the trucks and pedestrians may have been acceptable 25 years ago but it is not now,” he said.
“There is an ageing population, with trucks having to enter right through where people are walking in and out of the centre (from Blackwall Rd and the carpark).”
The trucks then have to manouevre in the carpark to reverse into the loading dock, he said.
“While they are reversing and actually in the loading dock, the carpark is completely blocked, with traffic banking up,” he said.
O’Donnell said a suggestion of adding an upper level to the existing carpark “wouldn’t change anything”.
Trucks would still have the same access problems, he said.
“The first thing we would do (if we were to buy the land) would be to make the access road by the canal an access road for the trucks so they could avoid the entrance to the shopping centre altogether,” O’Donnell said.
He said the existing canal access did not offer enough space for trucks to manouevre and reverse into the loading dock, a situation which would be addressed with land purchased to allow extra room.
“Other things we would do could include creating some more parking spaces for the centre,” he said.
O’Donnell said Austin Butler Reserve had presented the shopping centre with “enormous problems” over the years.
“No-one actually uses this park, but we have had issues with the less fortunate using various substances in there,” he said.
“A children’s playground was removed from the reserve because of fears around needles and harassment.
“The police have been called (on several occasions).
“We are not talking about a high-grade reserve.”
O’Donnell reminded residents that Council had pledged to provide 8,500 trees for a greening program on the Peninsula with the proceeds of any sale of part of Austin Butler Reserve.
Terry Collins
Austin Butler is community land and is not for sale to private interests. All there excuses and private behind dealings have been exposed. If they want to really do something for the community why don’t they update there centre on there own land. How about redesigning the centre to have affordable housing above it and provide more Shops that can be serviced by trucks on there own land. Krulis are taking the easiest option and need to employ a Planner with foresight. There current plans will still have trucks interfering with traffic and pedestrian and result in the loss of more community green space.