Drive-through bottle shop approved for Hay CBD

Plans for a drive-though bottle shop on the corner of Hay’ Lachlan and Macgregors Streets have been approved by Hay Shire Council. Image: Supplied.

By Tertia Butcher

Hay is to get its first drive-through bottle shop since the former Caledonian Hotel burnt down around 20 years ago.

Council approved a Development Application for the bottle shop despite eight objections from surrounding landholders and a recommendation from Council staff to refuse the application, or approve it with stringent conditions.

The bottle shop will be located on the corner of Lachlan and Macgregor Streets on a large vacant block formerly occupied by a bank and residence.

The proposal includes the construction of a drive-through bottle shop comprising two driveways both entering and exiting from Macgregor Street, a single storey bottle shop fronting Lachlan Street and a loading bay at the rear of the property.

Council said although the proposed development could have a positive impact on the economic development of Hay, and would fill in a vacant site in the Hay CBD, it was not supported by staff, primarily due to the traffic impact on the local vicinity, the risk of loss of local amenity, and is seen not to be in the public interest of the people of Hay.

“The proposed development can have a positive impact on the Hay LGA, with a CIV (Capital Investment Value) of $450,000, it will create investment in the town during construction phase, and there will be ongoing employment in the business,” a report to Council reads.

“Inversely, there can be potential negative impacts on surrounding businesses and residences.

“The site is a vacant block in the CBD and can accommodate the scale of the proposed development.

“The site used to be bank, which was demolished several years ago, due to the building being structurally unsound.

“It must be noted that at that time, there were limited complaints about the land use, and no parking were provided on site for the bank.

“Surrounding land uses include predominantly commercial and retail on the Lachlan Street frontage, with retail immediately to the south and north of the site.

“The land uses are predominantly residential to the east of the development down Macgregor Street.

“The land uses on the opposite side of Lachlan Street include a newsagent and real estate agent, a hotel/pub/restaurant, and a church. The newsagent has limited onsite parking, but all the other users utilise street parking.

“The scale of the proposed development seems to be suitable to the site, but the traffic impact seems to make the site unsuitable for the proposed development.

“The street is extremely busy and narrow with not enough parking for businesses now.

“Residents currently need to park further along the street to park their cars. There is also restricted parking on the western side of Lachlan Street.”

Other concerns raised include anti-social behaviour, loading /unloading of trucks and extra noise for the residential street and they will lose their weekend lifestyle.

The applicant Will Nadin addressed each of the concerns and told Council he had over-compensated for parking.

“The street will lose four parking spaces and gain six on the site,” he said.

“There will be no loitering and noise-making. It’s a simple act of driving in and driving out.

“The truck required for unloading is only six metres long.

“One pub has already said they would buy from the bottle shop and no longer from Melbourne.

“This will be a boost for the local economy and I believe truly a good thing for this town.”

One of the opponents to the development, Tim Robertson told council he was not opposed to a bottle shop, his issue is with the traffic-flow through McGregor Street.

“There has not been a survey done by Council on how busy this street is,” he added.

McGregor Street resident. Shane Shulz agrees there was a need for a better survey of parking space.

“Parking is going to be a murderous issue,” he said. “And traffic-flow.”

Speaking in favour of the proposal, South Hay resident Julie Lawrence firmly believes there was a need for a bottle shop in Hay.

“When I had the caravan park, people often asked about a bottle shop when they arrived after 6.30pm when the supermarkets have closed,” she said.

“Most towns have a bottle shop and Hay doesn’t have one.

“No one will park around there; it’s like the Billabong Bottle Shop in Griffith. You drive in, you go out.

“Here’s a young fella prepared to step up and start a business.

“Not many young people are prepared to start a new business for their town. We’re looking at someone here who is proactive.”

“I think we will be mad not to embrace a new business coming to town,” Cr Porter added.