Regent Square
THE Tasmanian Planning Commission yesterday opened a hearing that will end a debate that has split the George Town community for more than four years.
The commission will use up to three hearings to decide whether to allow a proposed $6 million state government-funded Learning and Information Network Centre and Child and Family Centre hub on George Town's historic Regent Square.
The hearing, chaired by commissioner John Ramsay, included public questioning of architect firm ARTAS director Heath Clayton and traffic surveyor Terry Eaton about the procedure of the hub's design.
A degree of ambiguity surrounding the size of the project's footprint, and whether it extended beyond its site plan, was raised by Hillwood's Richard Nicholls.
Mr Clayton said there had been an error in the plans and that the project was still within its allowed parameters on the square.
Mr Clayton also said the firm was not provided with a site analysis from its client - the Education Department - before its work on the project, and was not involved directly in community consultation.
He said he attended regular meetings with George Town's Local Enabling Group, members of the Department of Education and the LINC board.
``The Local Enabling Group went further out into the community with that [community consultation],'' Mr Clayton said.
A long-standing concern from former councillor Graeme Neilsen regarding inadequate parking on George Town's Macquarie Street was dismissed by Mr Eaton, who said the street ran at a third of its capacity.
He referred to figures gained by a one-day traffic survey from September 2011.
Mr Eaton said while there may be 40 days of heightened traffic on Macquarie Street each year, it did not warrant constructing additional parking spaces for ``the rest of the 325 days''.
The hearing will continue at the George Town Council chambers on Anne Street, George Town, from 9am today.
