Dad army’s rank and isle
Officers back residents’ opposition to building
A PROTEST campaign by residents in one of the Gold Coast’s oldest canal estates is today expected to halt a new commercial development.
The Bulletin last month reported a campaign by the newly formed Save Our Street Alliance (SOSA) as Gold Coast City Council was swamped by 400 objections to an application for a two-level office building on Isle of Capri.
The developer proposed a modern building that would include a café and health services to replace an ageing residential building on a 850sq m block at the intersection of Via Roma and Salerno streets opposite the Surfers Paradise State School.
The agenda for today’s council planning committee meeting reveals officers have recommended a refusal for the development permit.
SOSA spokesman Michael Niddrie described the group as a “Mum and Dad army” which fought against inappropriate commercialisation within the low-density residential zone on the island.
“The location of this proposed commercial activity is particularly distasteful because it is at the pedestrian crossing adjacent to the primary school,” said Mr Niddrie.
“The intersection of Via Roma, Salerno and Etna streets is already a traffic black spot with school drop-off and pick-ups and the extra traffic generated by any commercial activity would be untenable for school children and parents.
“Rejection of this application by the City Planning Committee will be a win for commonsense which puts child safety above commercial interest.”
But residents are not ready yet to celebrate, aware councillors on the planning committee must support the officers’ recommendation and then gain the backing of all councillors at a full council meeting on Friday.
Residents said they put forward “professional” objections arguing that a “spaghetti intersection” existed between the Surfers Paradise State School and proposed development.
Councillor Gary Baildon attended on-site meetings at the school with parents, residents and council officers about traffic across four intersections.
After delivering petitions to Cr Baildon in late October, Mr Niddrie warned a traffic solution must be found. “This is an urgent matter for the Gold Coast City Council traffic engineers to come up with the best solution to fix this problem before a serious incident or fatality occurs in Salerno St”.
Council officers installed a traffic detector on Salerno St and recorded pedestrian numbers on the school crossing.
The Surfers Paradise State School Parents and Citizens Association also wrote to council, warning about the dangerous intersection and police being forced to monitor hoons in the suburb.