From May 2010: Cairns Regional Council has approved a request for an extension of the Shopping Facilities in Marti Street and Toogood Road in Bayview Heights. The approval will see a change in the intensity of the site that allows an extension to the southernmost two shop units, extending them 154 square metres to the rear. The extension will be approximately 14 metres in length and 10 metres in width, expanding the existing shopping facilities.
The shops are within a Local Centre Planning Area and the extension was considered to be generally compliant with Council’s Planning Scheme. Currently half of the shopping units are vacant and it was felt the location has not been providing the desired levels of service envisioned for a Local Centre.
The extension to the rear and amalgamation of two units will allow for the introduction of a larger and more diverse shop to the advantage of local residents and to the general occupation of the overall complex of shopping units.
Marti Street Shops
Council acknowledged that the extension to the shops will result in an erosion of an already substandard provision of car parking. However, Council also noted many customers walk or cycle to these neighbourhood shops.
Given the “convenience” nature of the shops in a Local Centre, it was not considered that long term on-street parking would be generated to any more significant extent than presently exists.
Ample parking is available on Marti Street and Toogood Road. This situation can be further improved by line marking for vehicle parking along Toogood Road in addition to Marti Street (which is already line marked).
A requirement of the approval was that long term staff park at the rear, so the on street parking remains available for customer parking.
