A WAGGA developer expects his new $1.5 million petrol station will not exacerbate problems around the city’s worst intersection.
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Tim Brennan unveiled to the Advertiser on Thursday plans for a 24-hour service station at the vacant Dobney Avenue site.
The announcement follows the double Bunnings roundabouts, which the development will sit between, being voted the city’s worst intersection.
Just last week, an elderly man ploughed through the fence and landed in a stormwater drain, while nearby businesses call for its immediate upgrade due to “daily near misses”.
But Mr Brennan has defended the move, stating heavy traffic flow through the intersection warranted a service station.
“A petrol station needs traffic and this is the busiest intersection in town,” he said.
“I’ve got a 72-page traffic management study. It’s permissible under the zoning. It’s legal.”
Mr Brennan hosed down suggestions the service station would make worse the already dreaded intersection.
It will have just on entry on the northern end of the road and one exit on the southern end.
“There is not expected to be any major impact on increased traffic to the existing daily flow, as the majority of the expected trade is to be harvested from existing passing trade,” he said.
“What is needed at the roundabout is that the drivers observe the traffic laws, drive according to the prevailing conditions of the day and have a little patience.
“Too many drives tend to speed up in order to avoid giving way to an oncoming vehicle that has the right of way, which inevitably leads to unhappy consequences for those parties involved and unwarranted public cries.”
The service station has been pre-leased to a Sydney-based petroleum company on a 40-year lease, but Mr Brennan is remaining tight-lipped on its identity for the moment.
The application was approved by council in December, with development expected to begin around May and conclude in the second half of the year.
“Local firms are to be employed, which will benefit a number of specialist trades within the city,” he said.
Mr Brennan also has concept plans for provision of a small car wash or drive-through food outlet behind the service station.
Mr Brennan has owned the land 15 years. He developed one half of the site into office and shop space four years ago, but it has sat vacant since. He hopes the service station will spin-off into the vacant building on the Chaston Street corner for “food or motor vehicle-oriented business”.
