Click on images to enlarge
2003
5 September 2003
Big W plans unveiled
ReferencesIn a development application filed this week, Big W unveiled the plans for its proposed discount department store at the intersection of Market and Perry streets in Mudgee.
The plans are now on display at Mudgee Shire Council chambers, where members of the public are urged to inspect them and comment on them in writing through September 19.
Big W has proposed building a store with a heritage facade that would blend with the appearance of existing historic structures lining Market Street.
The store would sit on the rear half of the property, backing on to Short Street and facing an 81-car parking lot located between the front of the store and Market Street.
Public comment since the announcement of Big W's plans to come to Mudgee, including a number of letters to the Mudgee Guardian, have been critical of the parking lot facing Market Street.
Council staff members stressed that this initial development application, like any other on a major project such as this, represents only a starting point for discussions of the ultimate design.
A spokesman for Big W said the proposed store would provide 120 to 140 permanent part time jobs.
"We would welcome applications from the staff of Kelletts," he said.
Drawings provided with the Big W development application showed trees and a heritage-style fence partially screening the parking lot from view on Market Street.
Cars would enter and exit the proposed parking lot from Perry Street, according to the development application.
The store building itself would take up more than half of the existing Kelletts site, according to the drawings. The roof, set below the roofline of the adjacent buildings, would be flat with a central arch over the store entrance.
Plans showed the foyer-style main entrance would be bounded by six speciality retail stores, three either side, protruding from the building's main face.
The development encompasses 5,335.4 square metres of land, which includes a detached Short Street residential dwelling that will be demolished.
Big W plans to demolish all of the existing buildings on the site to create a gross floor area of 4739.1 square metres, plus and additional 596.3 square metres for the six separate specialty retail stores at the front of the main store.
The discount department store will expand on the current trading space offered by Kelletts from 2,263 to 3,739 square metres.
However, the footprint of the proposed development will produce an encroachment of the store buildings onto Perry and Short Streets by 10.13 and 6.60 metres respectively, which will result in a loss of parking spaces along the eastern side of Perry Street.
The car park will incorporate a 2.5 metre wide pedestrian link along the eastern boundary adjoining the former Norton's building.
Vehicle entry and exit points will be through two separate crossovers linking the parking lot to Perry Street, the development application said.
In addition Big W wants to increase the parking supply to the library car park from 22 spaces to 33 to help accommodate semi-trailers accessing the proposed loading dock.
The proposed loading dock will cater for semi-trailers up to 19 metres in length, which will enter and exit via Short Street.
Despite community concern Mudgee Shire Council senior town planner Catherine Van Laeren said the development reflects some of the style of the neighbouring buildings.
"We're looking at their materials, the scale and the proportion, because we don't want them mimicking that Grand Victorian style look the existing buildings either side, like the post office or the old town hall," Mrs Van Laeren said. "But we do believe the development will provide a visual link between those heritage items," she said.
The planning and development consultants for the Big W development, Ratio Consultants noted the setback of the proposed development actually gave greater prominence to the neighbouring buildings.
In Ratio's Statement of Environmental Effects, submitted to council it stated, "Given the particular locational characteristics of the subject site, the proposed site does not break or interfere with the built form of an established shopping centre. It is appropriate in this particular circumstance, and in functional terms will reinforce this section of the CBD and Market Street in particular."
"We need to be very specific with this, we could either approve the application with conditions, ask them to make amendments or completely refuse the application," Mrs Van Laeren said.
"The economic and social impacts of a development like this always concern us."
The development plans are available for viewing in the council foyer. Questions and comments should be directed to Catherine Van Laeren on 6372 5888.
A spokesperson for council emphasised that all public comments must be submitted in writing to become part of the official record and be considered1 .