PITTWATER COUNCIL'S new Bungan Lane carpark at Mona Vale is again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. This project has cost ratepayers in excess of $7.3m million + Land Costs and was to be the Flagship for Mona Vale’s parking problems for both present and into the future. It was intended to properly serve the Central Business Core of the Pittwater LGA, Mona Vale. The Mona Vale Post Office is basically the regional Post Office for all of Pittwater and will always be.
Many are now labelling this project a “WHITE ELEPHANT”.
In our last posting we wrote an article titled “HOW CAN THIS BE” raising concern that the new carpark in Bungan Lane at Mona Vale had accessibility problems as there was NO LIFT, NO PEDESTRIAN RAMPS to serve the 8 LEVELS with ONLY STAIRS TO GROUND LEVEL.
One week later we again have to ask, “HOW CAN THIS BE” yet again in relation to accessibility and connectivity.
The photo shows all access has now been lost from the Car Park Land to the Post Office.
It is literally “A ROAD TO NOWHERE”.
Click Here - ROAD TO NOWHERE - Talking Heads
For over 50 years Australia Post vehicles and customers have been accessing the Mona Vale Post Office through the Car Park Land. Interesting is that Australia Post used to own the Bungan Lane carpark site and in the late 1960’s sold it to Warringah Council.
Australia Post in submissions to Pittwater Council objected vehemently against this loss of access for a range of reasons including occupational health, public safety and that Australia Post vehicles could not use the access from Pittwater Road. They stated the amount of traffic, the clearway on Pittwater Road and potential for accidents involving pedestrians all render access from Pittwater Road unsafe.
Council records indicate the original car park design approved in 2003 showed continued access would be provided from the new car park to the Australia Post site. When Pittwater Council modified the design of the car park in 2012 prior to construction commencing in 2013 this access was taken away. Australia Post in 2012 continued their vehement objection to the loss of this access to their land requesting over and over again to Pittwater Council to change the design for the new car park and once again reinstate the rear access to their land even going so far as to offer to pay for any legal fees and other costs relating to this. They also state the obvious to anyone that such an arrangement of continuing access could be beneficial to the users of the new car park. However it would seem it was not obvious to Pittwater Council.
Council records indicate Australia Post objected on numerous occasions to the loss of access with written objections on the dates of 25 January 2012 and 21 June 2012. Further to this Australian Post also attended the Pittwater Council Development Unit meetings on the dates of 17 May 2012 and 28 June 2012 speaking both times against the recommendation of approval, which included no access to their land from the new carpark. The car park was subsequently approved with NO ACCESS.
Mona Vale Post Office customers over the last 50 years would agree how convenient it was to drive down the ramp from the car park site and park in one of the 12 Post Office on site parking spots at the rear of the building or park in the previous Bungan Lane carpark and use the access for the short walk to the Post Office.
But what now, there’s no public access to the Post Office carpark at the rear of the building as it is controlled by a boom gate from Pittwater Road and parking on Pittwater Road at best is near impossible during the day and not permitted with the bus lane after 3pm.
We have been informed that there are approximately 1700 post boxes on site and it is a very long walk from the new Bungan Lane carpark using Bungan Lane, then either Waratah Street or Mona Vale Road to connect with Pittwater Road and then continue walking to the Post Office.
Many are now labelling this project a “WHITE ELEPHANT”.
In our last posting we wrote an article titled “HOW CAN THIS BE” raising concern that the new carpark in Bungan Lane at Mona Vale had accessibility problems as there was NO LIFT, NO PEDESTRIAN RAMPS to serve the 8 LEVELS with ONLY STAIRS TO GROUND LEVEL.
One week later we again have to ask, “HOW CAN THIS BE” yet again in relation to accessibility and connectivity.
The photo shows all access has now been lost from the Car Park Land to the Post Office.
It is literally “A ROAD TO NOWHERE”.
Click Here - ROAD TO NOWHERE - Talking Heads
For over 50 years Australia Post vehicles and customers have been accessing the Mona Vale Post Office through the Car Park Land. Interesting is that Australia Post used to own the Bungan Lane carpark site and in the late 1960’s sold it to Warringah Council.
Australia Post in submissions to Pittwater Council objected vehemently against this loss of access for a range of reasons including occupational health, public safety and that Australia Post vehicles could not use the access from Pittwater Road. They stated the amount of traffic, the clearway on Pittwater Road and potential for accidents involving pedestrians all render access from Pittwater Road unsafe.
Council records indicate the original car park design approved in 2003 showed continued access would be provided from the new car park to the Australia Post site. When Pittwater Council modified the design of the car park in 2012 prior to construction commencing in 2013 this access was taken away. Australia Post in 2012 continued their vehement objection to the loss of this access to their land requesting over and over again to Pittwater Council to change the design for the new car park and once again reinstate the rear access to their land even going so far as to offer to pay for any legal fees and other costs relating to this. They also state the obvious to anyone that such an arrangement of continuing access could be beneficial to the users of the new car park. However it would seem it was not obvious to Pittwater Council.
Council records indicate Australia Post objected on numerous occasions to the loss of access with written objections on the dates of 25 January 2012 and 21 June 2012. Further to this Australian Post also attended the Pittwater Council Development Unit meetings on the dates of 17 May 2012 and 28 June 2012 speaking both times against the recommendation of approval, which included no access to their land from the new carpark. The car park was subsequently approved with NO ACCESS.
Mona Vale Post Office customers over the last 50 years would agree how convenient it was to drive down the ramp from the car park site and park in one of the 12 Post Office on site parking spots at the rear of the building or park in the previous Bungan Lane carpark and use the access for the short walk to the Post Office.
But what now, there’s no public access to the Post Office carpark at the rear of the building as it is controlled by a boom gate from Pittwater Road and parking on Pittwater Road at best is near impossible during the day and not permitted with the bus lane after 3pm.
We have been informed that there are approximately 1700 post boxes on site and it is a very long walk from the new Bungan Lane carpark using Bungan Lane, then either Waratah Street or Mona Vale Road to connect with Pittwater Road and then continue walking to the Post Office.
There are a number of disabled parking spots on the ground level in the new carpark. Had this rear access been provided as requested many times by Australia Post all customers including wheelchair bound and those who walk with mobility issues could have used the much shorter travel distance. The sketch below shows the location of 1 of the disabled parking spots in the new carpark and using this round trip distances to the Post Office are: -
Previous access shown with Red Line 160 metres (Not available anymore)
New Access via Waratah Street Purple Line 520 metres
New Access via Mona Vale Road Blue Line 606 metres
Previous access shown with Red Line 160 metres (Not available anymore)
New Access via Waratah Street Purple Line 520 metres
New Access via Mona Vale Road Blue Line 606 metres
We think this is a terrible planning outcome for customers and businesses in Mona Vale.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
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Pittwater Alliance