Debate about funding road junction upgrades led to deferral of a decision about a $2.5 million service station and car wash.
The proposal for a 6.873sqm site in DevelopmentWA’s Meridian Park industrial estate in Neerabup included a service station, convenience store with drive-through, vehicle repairs and car wash.
The Metro Outer Development Panel met on June 1 to consider the application, which the City of Wanneroo had recommended for approval with conditions.
Dynamic Planning and Developments director Neil Teo and traffic consultant Sam Laybutt from Cardno gave presentations asking the panel to amend three conditions.
One condition they sought to change related to upgrading the Flynn Drive-Pinnacle Drive junction.
City approval services manager Greg Bowering said the design needed to be modified to make it safe.
Mr Laybutt said the City should upgrade the junction to address “weaving” issues when it widened Flynn Drive to a dual carriageway, with that project flagged for construction in 2022 and 2023.
He said if the applicants had to do upgrades separately, it could cost them $100,000.
The applicants said they would be happier with a compromise to pay for temporary traffic management if the City’s project was delayed and they wanted to open the business.
Three of the five panel members opted to defer making a decision to allow the City, applicant and DevelopmentWA to discuss the issue further, with a report due back within six weeks.
Presiding member Ian Birch said he hoped the three parties could sort out the “thorny issues”, and that DevelopmentWA had some responsibility as the state department was selling the lot to the applicants.
Panel members also asked for clarification on plans for the drive-through component because floor plans did not indicate where the servery would be located.
The City recommended not approving the drive-through because it was not a permitted land use, but the applicants sought to delete that condition.
Mr Laybutt said the drive-through would only be selling products available in the convenience store, so customers would be people who would otherwise park and walk into the store.
Mr Bowering said the drive-through was not an incidental use to the service station as it was likely to attract different customers to those filling up their vehicles and paying in store.
Mr Teo said it would offer amenity not yet available in the industrial estate, which was in the early stages of development.
“At the moment, you probably have to bring a packed lunch or you are going to go hungry in that part of the world,” he said.
“We are just trying to make the site more efficient for the community that works in that area.”
Mr Bowering said drive-through food outlets were permitted in commercial zones nearby.
The applicants also asked to delete a condition to reduce the height of a 12m pylon sign, but Mr Bowering said the City’s sign policy only permitted multiple tenancy signs to be 8m high.
Mr Teo said the design was created to meet DevelopmentWA’s guidelines in consultation with the state architect, who pushed them to include an element of height.
Proposed operating hours were 24/7 for the fuel station and car wash, while vehicle repairs would take place from 7am-6pm on weekdays and 7am-2pm on Saturdays.
Service station and roadhouse policy supported
The DAP deferral followed a Wanneroo Council decision in May supporting a local planning policy on service stations and roadhouses.
The policy, which attracted one submission during consultation, will guide development and design of those facilities, particularly near sensitive land uses.
It included objectives to ensure traffic, noise, light, fumes and odours from fuel stations and vehicle repair premises did not affect surrounding amenity.
“Service stations and roadhouses abutting residential or other sensitive development shall be designed to minimise impact on abutting residents,” the policy said.
“Where potential conflict between a proposed service station or roadhouse and adjoining or nearby residential or sensitive land use cannot be adequately managed, alternative locations need to be considered.”
Extracted from Perth Now