$65m Glenvale retail precinct finally approved by council
THE under-serviced suburb of Glenvale is closer to getting a raft of new shops and housing after an approval to rezone a site off Hursley Rd.
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THE under-serviced suburb of Glenvale is closer to getting a raft of new shops and housing after an approval to rezone a site off Hursley Rd.
A vote by Toowoomba Regional Council today has paved the way for a $65 million development at the site of the defunct Newtown Football Club.
Further applications will need to be approved before construction can begin but it has been hailed as a win by developer DGM Group.
It is planning five precincts covering convenience, retail, health, childcare, fast food, a service station, showroom, hardware, indoor sports, a tavern, motel and residential.
DGM says hundreds of jobs will be created during construction and hundreds more once it is complete.
The application didn't have an easy path through council, with Cr Bill Cahill and Cr Joe Ramia opposing it.
STORY SO FAR
>> Massive retail centre to transform Toowoomba suburb
>> New retail and lifestyle complex suffers setback
>> Council to decide fate of $65 million Glenvale project
The Toowoomba Hockey Club also opposes the project on several grounds including traffic impacts.
Cr Chris Tait excused himself from voting as he is a member of the hockey club.
Cr Cahill said the Section 242 approval would "fly below the radar" and indicated further approvals would be a fait accompli.
Both Cr Cahill and Cr Ramia called for council officers to undertake impact assessments.
But Planning and Development services general manager Stewart Somers said any assessments would be difficult for officers and virtually meaningless, as the eventual applications would likely change in form.
He said the applicants were aware that a widening of Glenvale Rd would likely need to take place.
Cr Mike Williams moved that the application be approved, saying the growing area of Glenvale was sorely in need of developments.
Cr Sommerfield said the land was currently an eyesore and should be improved.
"I have complete confidence in our staff that as individual development applications are submitted all these things (issues like traffic impacts) will be addressed," she said.
Originally published as $65m Glenvale retail precinct finally approved by council
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