Outspoken Maitland business woman Linda McLean has vowed to take Maitland City Council to task over stage two of the city’s Levee project, which she claims does not comply with development application regulations.
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Ms McLean, who is a Maitland property owner and a member of the Maitland City Action Group, believes council has rubber stamped a development application for the next stage of the controversial project without proper community consultation.
She is also concerned about public toilet facilities planned for the development, insufficient parking and that council has chosen a design she feels will compromise the area’s heritage streetscape.
Ms McLean has been vocal about several aspects of The Levee project including the controversial kiosk constructed during stage one.
She lodged a petition on behalf of the action group calling for the structure to be removed because of its design, concerns for pedestrian safety and the competition it would create for existing businesses on The Levee.
“Council has not followed DA procedure on this second stage of the development and that is my key concern,” she said.
“This development will compromise the heritage feel at that end of town and it has been signed off on without the council addressing the basic fundamentals that a DA should address like toilets, and parking to accommodate a 128-seat two-storey restaurant proposed for the site,” Ms McLean said.
Construction work on stage two is starting with improvement works in Drill Hall Lane.
The development is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
Maitland City Council’s Executive Manager Major Projects Wayne Cone said stage two will not include any additional parking.
He said the development application for the construction of the Riverlink Building was on public exhibition in October last year.
During that period the application was advertised in the Mercury inviting the community to provide comment.
“Designs for High Street footpath improvement works are still being developed and once these designs are completed council will communicate these designs with the relevant traders and owners,” Mr Cone said.
He said a heritage impact statement was completed for the Riverlink building as part of the development approval process.
This statement concluded that the proposed Riverlink building will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the area.
Ms McLean said she was not satisfied with the way the issue has been addressed and said she will take the matter up with the state government.
