26 March 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
Neutral Bay Village shopkeepers are urging residents to have their say about the recently released draft planning study for the town plaza.
It has proven to be a point of contention with Coles looking to develop the current site – inclusive of the Woolworths building and the carpark – into a “vibrant retail precinct”. Retailers have previously expressed concern this may sideline their own businesses, in particular in terms of access for shoppers.
The Neutral Bay Village Retailers group believes that Council has listened to small business and community concerns in the study but there is still more to consider.
They are supportive of the retention of the supermarket building setbacks to Waters and Coopers Lanes.
Plans to protect existing trees were also endorsed.
The retailers also noted they were also pleased with Coles and Developers having to submit a planning proposal for rezoning which the local community will be able to review.
However, the group are unhappy with the draft plan’s removal of convenient parking as it limits access to retailers and grab-and-go options. They want to keep half of the existing on-grade parking spaces.
The ‘big and imposing’ nature of the of the proposed Coles building was also noted, earning a comparison to the Toaster at Circular Quay. There should be breaks in the building design that won’t dominate the space.
Thirdly, the Coles plaza would ramp down over the equivalent of one storey. It should be one level, they say.
Shopkeepers are encouraging members of the community to give feedback on the draft planning study via the North Sydney Council feedback form.
“Submitting feedback to the Council doesn’t mean we’re blocking progress; it’s just saying YES to requesting community-centric development,” the email read.
“Our goal is simple: All we want is for the Council to make some changes to the design to optimise access for our community and retailers.”
Submissions close at 5pm on April 2.