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City centre parking concerns raised

Posted on June 25, 2009, 8:08am and updated on June 25, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Businesses near Mount Gambier’s Uniting Church hall have voiced concerns development of a 97-room aged care facility at the site will create traffic chaos.

City Council’s development assessment panel approved the project last week, including demolition of the hall and tennis courts to create the two-storey centre.

However, Commercial Hotel licensee Robert Warren and OK Pie Shop operator Ronald Dihm told the panel although the project was welcome, more thought should be given to how car parking would be managed.

Mr Warren said motorists already experienced parking shortages in the area that would worsen with the loss of off-road public parks associated with the development.

Mr Dihm said parking was filled to capacity regularly along Caldwell Street and surrounds, including the 29-space park, which will be restricted for use by staff of the new facility.

He asked where people who used the current public spaces would be accommodated.

“If you take 30 parks out of the equation, where will those cars go?” he said.

“It will be a big problem.”

He also questioned whether there would be sufficient parks for the 100 aged care centre staff when some existing spaces were lost to infrastructure.

“Also, if you add 100 residents to the area, they must have visitors throughout the afternoon — they will only be provided with nine car parks on Elizabeth Street,” he said, adding this was insufficient.

“Let’s face it, if you have an old person who is sick you are going to go visit them once or twice per day, everyone is going to go look after their parents.”

However, Resthaven chief executive Richard Hearn said it was wrong to assume residents of the facility would have daily visitors.

“It is a sad observation, but it doesn’t happen,” he said.

“It would be great if people visited people in nursing homes and aged care facilities a lot more, but it is not the case.”

He said the church owned the area used by council for public parking, which Resthaven, an independent agency of the church, had proposed to buy as a package of land.

Mr Hearn said the agency had the right to develop the site, within guidelines, and parking issues had not been a concern at Resthaven’s other facilities across the state.

He said proposed parking for Mount Gambier would be adequate as the 100 staff would be split into constant shifts of up to 20 at a time.

Panel member David Chapman said it was council that has “issues with parking”, not the developer.

JASON WALLACE

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Comments

4 Responses to “City centre parking concerns raised”

  1. the diplomat on June 25th, 2009 10:01 am 1

    The carpark area behind the Gambier hotel would make in ideal spot more a multi level car park. With some redesigning you could have a 4 — 7? level car park that would end the conjestion of the main street and some of the smaller streets in question. There is plenty of room for it and if done well, the arcade that links the main street to this car park could be incorporated. The city could then raise revenue for charging for the parking or if it is feasible, to make it free parking. Ground floor offices could even be incorporated and leased to help reclaim costs. The location is central with easy access from either commercial street or jubilee hwy. This would ease conjestion immensely and increase flow of traffic along commercial street.

  2. Jade on June 25th, 2009 11:02 am 2

    Lets not forget about the 80 plus staff who will be vying for car parks once the new DFC Connected Service Centre opens within the next 6 — 9 months.

  3. Maybe on June 25th, 2009 4:21 pm 3

    parking is what really kills businesses here.

  4. the diplomat on June 26th, 2009 9:12 am 4

    The new shopping centre at the northern entrance will have a 700 carpark and is not surrounded by conjestion. If the main street traders are struggling now, it will hurt when people drive out to this new shopping centre. Parking is one reason people do not shop as much as they should in the main. Even myself has done a drive by but cannot get a park so I just think bugger it and change my mind or instead of supporting the individual sole trader, I go to Target. You are spot on Maybe.