Geoff Helisma
Clarence Valley Council (CVC) says it has “thoroughly assessed” the location of a seven-metre-high sign for the new BP service station in Maclean; the neighbours, Maclean Riverside Caravan Park, say the sign will “definitely obscure” the park’s existing south-facing sign.
“The council let them [the developers] do this, it’s another nail in the coffin for a small business,” park manager Tracy Cooper said.
“We are a small business who has struggled through covid and floods and have the mess from the petrol station being built for two years, but we’ve battled on.”
Ms Cooper said that the position of the proposed BP sign would lead to north-travelling drivers “missing our sign or seeing it too late, [possibly] causing them to make an unsafe U-turn” if they missed the “only caravan park” in the town.
Moving the sign from its initial approved location on the site, at the intersection of Bakers Lane and River Streets, was requested by Essential Energy (EE), “due to the proximity of existing powerlines”.
An application to relocate the sign was tabled at the February CVC meeting, however, discussion at that meeting focussed on the caravan park’s request for the sign to have “a dimming mechanism from 10pm to 6am to reduce the impact on the neighbours including the caravan park and residents”, which was the subject of Cr Bill Day’s successful motion (councillors Whaites, Clancy, Toms and Pickering were opposed).
However, councillors did not discuss the sign’s new location, which the caravan park raised in its submission and deputation – councillors visited the site prior to their decision.
Commenting on the sign’s relocation, CVC staff wrote in the report to council: “The submission suggested that the sign be relocated towards the centre of the frontage of the site.
“However, as the sign is required to be located within private property and not within the road reserve, this is unachievable, as there would be a conflict with the current approved design and traffic movements.
“The applicant [developer] notes that the proposed location is wholly within [the BP station’s] property boundary [south of the caravan park’s exit] and that the proposed sign may be partially obscured by [the existing caravan park sign]…
“Other positions considered involved further modifications which were deemed to have greater impacts than the position shown.
“…Given the above factors, the proposed location is deemed to be the most suitable position…”
In relation to staff’s comment that the approved location has “the least amount of additional impacts”, the Independent asked CVC: Why does the new development take precedence over the existing signage on the caravan park’s property?
The council’s emailed statement acknowledged that councillors had “imposed … a requirement for a special dimming switch between 10pm and 6am” and reiterated, “The reason for the changed location is because EE cannot allow a sign to be near existing power lines.”
“The proposed relocated BP sign was thoroughly assessed by council officers, including considering a … preference for a different sign location,” CVC wrote.
“Alternate sign locations were explored by council officers; however, other locations would have had other adverse impacts.
“This means the BP sign could only be located at the northern end of the site.
“Overall, the proposed location of the sign was considered acceptable, noting it does not unreasonably obscure the caravan park signage and is located completely within the service station site.
“Council assesses the impacts of new signage against a range of matters, including streetscape and amenity, and there is no preference given to new development over existing.
“As Maclean’s main street, it is typical to have numerous signs promoting different businesses along this corridor.”