SUMMER Street resident Denise Trethewey has slammed Orange City Council’s refusal to disclose plans for the rundown former shop and vacant lot next door to Esso Park, on the corner of Summer and Woodward Streets.
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Miss Trethewey said she and her neighbours are unhappy about council’s lack of transparency.
“We’re all in an uproar and we’ve all been talking amongst ourselves,” she said.
“None of us can find out what council’s going to do.”
Miss Trethewey is against any council plan to put a student car park in busy Woodward Street’s Esso Park.
“Someone’s going to get killed, they (the P-platers) just come roaring down the street,” she said.
Miss Trethewey said the rumour mill’s gone into overdrive, with several people suggesting council paid $650,000 for the old shop.
“That’s an enormous amount of money,” she said.
Miss Trethewey said she would fight council if it attempted to knock down the old corner store.
“I’ll be chained to a tree if that happens,” she said.
“This is ratepayers’ money and we want a chance to say yea or nay.”
The Orange and District Historical Society’s treasurer Phil Stevenson said while the shop site isn’t of “great historic significance”, there are records of the location being used for commercial purposes in 1890.
Orange mayor John Davis said council bougth the former corner store site and vacant lot that once housed a service station because “it was obvious that both sites were major eyesores on a key entrance into Orange”.
“When the opportunity comes up to purchase sites in strategic locations, it’s important that the council can make those decisions, sometimes even before anything specific is locked in for the future of those sites,” he said.
“A report is being prepared for council which will look at the options for the sites.
“The sites are located right alongside Esso Park and with changes in the pipeline for that park, I imagine that will be considered as part of the report.
“Once there are more concrete proposals, and certainly before any DA (Development Application) is approved, there will be community consultation.”
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au