ANOTHER petrol station and new fast-food outlet could be coming to Kelso, if Bathurst Regional Council gives the green light to the plans.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A development application (DA) was lodged last year proposing to build a new Caltex petrol station and Carl's Jr drive-through restaurant on a vacant block of land at 214 Sydney Road, next to Clancy Motors.
Council is now ready to determine the DA and the decision looks promising.
A report from director of Environmental, Planning and Building Services, Neil Southorn, recommends that council grant consent to the plans.
ALSO MAKING NEWS: Heavy lifting: Plans for concrete recycling facility at Kelso
The proposal includes a service station with convenience store, fuel dispensers for both light and heavy vehicles, and a drive-through Carl's Jr restaurant that also caters to indoor and outdoor dining.
Signage and acoustic fencing is also part of the DA.
The plans going to council for determination are different to the plans lodged last year, which were amended in response to concerns from Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
The list included the lack of queuing capacity for the drive-through, the lack of onsite car parking, the lack of heavy vehicle parking spaces, the impact of vehicles slowing on the highway to enter the site, and heavy vehicle manoeuvring within the site.
TfNSW also highlighted a lack of separation between heavy and light vehicle movements, and a lack of pedestrian connectivity within the site between the frontage, the buildings and the parking.
"The original proposal was amended to address the concerns of TfNSW," Mr Southorn said.
"The amended proposal has addressed the above issues and TfNSW has now issued concurrence."
In addition to the concerns from TfNSW, there were also concerns from members of the public, who put in three submissions during the exhibition period.
Among the concerns was the height of blade signs, which exceed the Development Control Plan (DCP) requirements.
The response to this was that the "proposed sign height of 7.0 metres is consistent with that of the other blade signs in the vicinity".
ALSO MAKING NEWS: Council has an alternative to total scooter, skateboard ban
Clancy Motors' signs next door are 6.2 metres, while the Homemakers Centre site has one that is eight metres.
The development's proximity to Raglan Creek and the limited riparian corridor proposed were also of concern.
As this proposal is integrated development, approval is required under the Water Management Act 2000 from the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR).
THE NRAR did not raise any concerns and has issued General Terms of Approval for the proposal.
Should council approve the plans, the Caltex would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Carl's Jr would operate from 7am to midnight seven days a week.
If approved, there will be some on-street parking lost, as the TfNSW concurrence to the project is contingent upon the construction of an auxiliary left (short) turn treatment on Sydney Road.
This is to enable space for decelerating vehicles to do so out of the travelling lane.
Clancy Motors was contacted for comment, but did not make a submission regarding loss of parking.