Logan Village pony club hopes to clear housing development hurdle
A sleepy rural village south of Brisbane has had a rude awakening, with plans for a McDonald’s, KFC, child care centre, 7-Eleven and a 172-unit retirement village unveiled in the past month, leaving the local pony club the latest at stake.
Logan
Don't miss out on the headlines from Logan. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A southside pony club is hoping for a last-minute reprieve to save its grounds from being dug up for a retirement village.
COFFEE SHOP TENDERS UP FOR GRABS
HIGHWAY TO PLOUGH THROUGH LOGAN VILLAGE
RAIL TRAIL KEY TO SAVING VILLAGE
RAIL TRAIL TO KICKSTART TOURISM
Logan Village Riding and Pony Club is waging a campaign against a proposal to excavate its horse yards, wash bay and carpark and use the fill for a 172-unit retirement complex next door.
Under the plans, the pony club and neighbouring Logan Village RSL, both on Logan City Council land, would also be used for stormwater run-off for a lake at the retirement village.
In return, the developer, Living Gems, would build a riding pavilion for the scaled-back pony club and toilets at the neighbouring RSL Club.
The lake will be one of the highlighted features of the village, an extension to Living Gems’ existing Opal Gardens retirement village, which has 200 homes, on Quinzeh Creek Rd.
Along with a communal building and deck cantilevered over the lake, the housing project will include 120 three-bedroom homes and 51 two-bedroom units, and a manager’s residence on the 8 hectare site. Sites will range in size from 273 sqm to 294 sqm.
Council will extend water and sewerage pipes to the RSL and the developer will build two toilet blocks for the clubs.
Despite plans already being lodged with the council, last-minute talks were held with angry pony club members on Friday in an effort to change the designs and save the horse riding centre.
Club president Karen Webb said the eleventh-hour discussions had proved to be positive and the club was hoping for new plans to be issued online by tonight, when club members would meet.
“If we lose our carpark and yards, the club will cease to exist, which will affect the community as we have been here for 40 years,” she said.
Club members said they were ignored when they met with council officers in March during the early stages of the development and offered alternative solutions to save the carpark.
Since the plans were made public on October 14, 20 objections have been filed with the majority complaining about digging up the riding arenas and council-owned public parkland.
Others also objected to the development being partly in a koala priority area with up to 130 gum trees earmarked for removal.
CHECK OUT OUR CHRISTMAS WINE BARGAINS
A report, compiled by consultants RPS Group for the retirement village, said there were “technical issues” with the plans but recommended approval for the Quinzeh Creek Rd project, subject to conditions.
The units are just one step towards transforming the sleepy rural Logan Village, with plans also afoot for two fast food chains and a child care centre.
A McDonald’s restaurant and drive-through, proposed for Albert and Logan streets, has stirred both concern and excitement from locals, as has a recently approved child care centre, 7/11 service station and KFC Restaurant in the same block.
Living Gems also has a Ruby resort (370 homes) and Sapphire resort (180 homes) in Eagleby.