ORANGE City Council has paved the way for three fast food outlets or service stations on the north Orange bypass with councillors voting unanimously to put three lots in the Narrambla Estate on the market.
The Hanrahan Place sites were zoned for tourism under the council’s local environmental plan (LEP) and are expected to be highly sought after, according to a report by council’s business projects officer Tony Boland.
Council staff have had the properties independently valued and will list the sites with a range of real estate agents as well as taking direct enquires.
In a bid to prevent developers “land banking on such a strategic site”, contracts for the sale will include a buy-back option for the council.
“It is intended any sale would include a condition or clause that would allow council to purchase the property back at the original sale price after two years if significant development is not forthcoming,” Mr Boland said in the report.
“It ensures that if a premium price is to be achieved on a site, then it will be achieved by council as the original developer rather than an investor.”
Councillors have authorised general manager Garry Styles to enter into agreements with interested real estate agents and also negotiate on the price for the land within a 10 per cent margin of the valuations.
clare.colley@ruralpress.com
