THE public will be given the opportunity to have their say on a controversial proposal for a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and a Woolworths service station in Telopea Way, but north Orange residents say there is little fight left in them.
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Still reeling after the Land and Environment Court allowed a controversial McDonald’s restaurant to be built in the same area, Denise and David Prince say they will write a submission against the proposal but they do not think it will be of any help.
“Who am I to have a say?” Mrs Prince said.
“I’m just a silly woman, they won’t listen to me.
“They didn’t listen to any of us last time.”
The mother-and-son duo joined dozens of north Orange residents last year in their campaign against the proposal to build the north Orange McDonald’s.
The residents lobbied councillors, wrote submissions against the development and paid for advertising but to no avail.
Mr Prince said the traffic problems cited as the main reason why the McDonald’s restaurant should not be built have not gone away.
“Some days it’s just impossible to get through, even with the new traffic lights,” Mr Prince said.
In the latest development concerning KFC and the service station, the Minister for Planning, Pru Goward, has appointed the Western Joint Regional Planning Panel as the consent authority for the development on Farrell Road and Telopea Way, opposite the North Orange shopping centre.
Orange City Council will continue to fight against the project, according to sustainable development committee chairman Jeff Whitton.
“The letter from the minister merely confirms what was expected to be the case, that the JRPP will be the authority that will oversee the gateway process for this proposal,” he said.
“Because the city council had opposed the proposed rezoning of the Farrell Road site, and expects to make that case during the consultation phase of the gateway process, it’s appropriate that another authority such as the JRPP runs that process.”
The gateway process involves independent experts who will consult Orange City Council, residents and the developers, and who will provide advice regarding the progress of the project and whether it is likely to succeed or not.
Because the gateway process will be run by the JRPP, the proposal will need to go through a public exhibition period.
A JRPP spokesperson said it was not clear when that would happen.
“Once the Department of Planning and Environment issue the gateway determination for this planning proposal the panel will have a clearer idea of the time frame for it to make its recommendation on the rezoning,” the spokesperson said.
nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au
