By Vanessa Chircop
HOBSONS Bay Council last week received a petition with 61 signatories requesting the construction of three parking bays and an internal driveway as part of the Victoria St/Esplanade Williamstown Traffic Management Works.
Despite the petition, Councillor Angela Altair told the council that not all residents on Victoria St wanted the parking bays and internal driveway to be constructed.
“It’s not as straight forward as it would first appear – some people who might have signed the petition in good faith may not have done so if they realised the background,” she said.
“I would like to admit up front that the fact that the council has put up conflicting plans have definitely caused some confusion among residents of Victoria St and surrounds.”
Cr Altair said that the original plans did not show the internal parking bays.
“When we distributed the update that showed the special treatment that would create these parking bays we did not consult with those people that would be most affected,” she said.
She added that when the plans were changed residents of the street protested that they had not been given the opportunity to be consulted.
One Victoria St resident who did not wish to be named told Star that the plan was changed without consultation.
The resident said they were concerned that the parking bays and internal driveway would look unsightly, effect the streetscape and destroy the look of the nature strip.
“Neither of the residence of number one and number five were consulted at any stage nor were they invited to sign the petition,” the resident said.
“The petition was circulated selectively excluding the two adjacent properties or anyone known to have objected to the parking.”
