THE recent sale of the old hospital site in Orange raises many questions, not only to the ratepayers of Orange but also to all residents of NSW who have been told that our state government needs all the money it can get to keep NSW going forward.
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Did the government get the top price for the hospital site?
Was the site promoted enough?
Did Orange City Council pay too much for the site?
Often the valuation figure and the actual value vary considerably.
Does Orange City Council have a management plan for financing the development of the site?
Reports state that it will take 10 years to fully develop the site? Are we going to have dust and rubbish for that long? Will it take 10 years for council to receive a full rate return on its outlay?
Is the plan shown by council the best for the site? Ratepayers were not shown any alternatives. Were there a number of designers asked to submit designs or just one picked by council?
If a private developer bought the site would not council start to receive rates from the completion of the sale?
If a private developer developed the site they would have to contribute to all the head works, pay for the internal roads etc.
How is council going to pay for this work? Are the ratepayers going to subsidise this work?
The recent LEP allowed for three-storey development on this site with all necessary green space.
Why has council opted to reduce Sale Street to a laneway? This will effect businesses adjacent to the site in Sale Street.
Have traffic flow plans been drawn up in conjunction with this site and the development taking place in North Orange and the use of Anson Street and Prince Street?
Is the setback of the three-storey building that is to remain compatible with the present LEP, and how is the parking going to be organised?
Is council capable of handling a project of this size judged on recent performances?
Charles Everett, Orange
