Service station plans unveiled for ‘zoo corner’

A CORNER, made popular by a menagerie of concrete zoo animals including a life-size gorilla, is poised to become a service station.

Two giraffes and a gorilla at the corner where there are plans for a servo.

A GORILLA, two giraffes, a panther and a lion will be looking for a new home if Logan City Council allows a service station to be built on the corner of Beenleigh Redland Bay Road at Cornubia.

The concrete animals have been permanent fixtures on the corner block for more than 15 years, making the site a talking point well before Wolter Consulting Group put in a development application in May.

The application is for a service station and a 7-Eleven shop and food outlet at 162-164 Beenleigh Redland Bay Road, Cornubia.

There was a public notification as the site is in a Rural Residential zone — Park Living Precinct, which does not allow for service stations.

The plans prompted 101 submissions to council by the required October 27 deadline. The majority were from local residents, including Robert Hambling, who lives in nearby Bromley St.

Mr Hambling said there were already two service stations with convenience stores within 1km of the site and five within 3km.

Cornubia service station at the corner of Beenleigh Redland Bay Road and California Creek Rd

“This proposed site is residential and nearby houses would be subject to a significant amount of noise, odours and light effects by day and night which would adversely affect the quality of life and amenity of homeowners around this location,” he said.

“Traffic leaving the proposed service station on to California Ck Rd would mostly be turning right at the traffic lights and would encounter heavy traffic on California Ck Rd particularly at peak hours and school pick-up and drop off.

“This could be dangerous as the exit is very close to the traffic lights. If the proposal goes ahead this exit should be closed.”

Council asked for a Traffic Impact Assessment and a report by Cambray Consulting found the proposed development was expected to generate about 12 new trips on to the external road network during the night peak hour.

Cornubia service station at the corner of Beenleigh Redland Bay Road and California Creek Rd

“This equates to approximately one additional new trip every five minutes, and is negligible in the context of the broader road network,” it said. California Creek Rd is council controlled and, if the application was successful conditions would likely include left-in/left-out only access. The application is in the Information and Referral stage awaiting a response from the state as the site adjoins the state controlled Beenleigh Redland Bay Rd.

Council discussions with the Transport Department included relocating a bus stop 65m to minimise any problem with cars entering or leaving the fuel stop.