Will Maclean IGA pause?
THE development application for the Maclean IGA is still with Clarence Valley Council and may not be approved or rejected in the current elected officials' term.
Time until the next election is running out.
Councillors are advised not to make controversial decisions in the lead-up to the four-yearly election and Maclean is still firmly divided in opinion over the supermarket plans.
The $2.5m sale of council land for IGA will not be finalised until the area is rezoned and the development application is approved.
"If no approval is granted, IGA can require council to repurchase," the council's deputy general manager Rob Donges said.
A"plan of subdivision is being prepared for registration which is required to sell the site".
He said tenders for the land were called in September 2010 and IGA's was the only one received.
"Council has looked at various sites over the last decade including swapping Maclean Library for the SPAR supermarket building and Cameron Park (in centre of carpark)," he said.
Plus there were "private proposals for the Maclean Fish Co-op; commercial land south of carpark plus part of carpark, and River St/Church St, Maclean."
The Daily Examiner submitted questions about the planning application to council, but we received no response before going to print.
It is understood the IGA car park will be underground, which has also caused concerns about drainage, which is already an issue in Cameron Park.
Maclean will lose around 230sq m of green space out of 5500 sq m and Mr Donges confirmed there were no controls around how much green space had to be provided in CBDs.
