10 September 2014

Calwell Swimming Pool- Car Parking or Lack Off.

| Skelinoz
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Great to see the Liberal Member for Brindabella doing what all politicians seem good at and self praising himself in a local flyer for his part in ensuring that the construction of a new swimming pool at Calwell went ahead, despite “numerous hurdles” placed in the way.

One of those hurdles no doubt was the lack of any car park, I assume anyone who wishes to use the facility will enjoy the luxury of trying to find a park at the adjacent Calwell shopping centre. It may come as something of a shock to the member that the car park at the shops is often busy and generally log jammed between 4pm till around 6pm on any weekday. During construction in the range of 30 slots have already been lost and its already chaos before the pool is even opened. To allow the go ahead for such a facility that will “cater for up to 4000 swimmers a week” without ensuring adequate infrastructure such as a car park is just madness.

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kkk13 said :

Skelinoz – actually the Calwell pool will have its own car park, it is currently being built! This will be a great development for the Tuggeranong community and good on the Brindabella member Andrew Wall for helping despite the lack of support by the ACT Labor Governement! Once again the ACT Liberals have the right priorities!

MY apologies, It does indeed have its own car park with what 12 spaces? 1 of which is unavailable as it blocks access to a door. As Alderney says getting into the newly provided car park is also problematic to say the least. 11 spaces is not going to solve the chaos that already ensues at that end of the car park.

kkk13 said :

Skelinoz – actually the Calwell pool will have its own car park, it is currently being built! This will be a great development for the Tuggeranong community and good on the Brindabella member Andrew Wall for helping despite the lack of support by the ACT Labor Governement! Once again the ACT Liberals have the right priorities!

From the quick glances that I’ve had, the pool specific car park will be enough to provide parking for pool staff and a very small number of patrons, most if not all will spill over into the shopping centre car park.

And that’s not even taking into account the pandemonium that will be caused by the way people enter the pool car park, i.e through the entrance closest to the church. This entrance is very little utilised at the moment because one cannot turn left into the shopping centre car park from there (shopping centre car park is one way). it is for entry to the church only.

I predict mayhem.

kkk13 said :

Skelinoz – actually the Calwell pool will have its own car park, it is currently being built! This will be a great development for the Tuggeranong community and good on the Brindabella member Andrew Wall for helping despite the lack of support by the ACT Labor Governement! Once again the ACT Liberals have the right priorities!

Wasn’t the pool with its new carpark supposed to be opened this week? Any idea on how much longer locals are going to be inconvenienced?

Skelinoz – actually the Calwell pool will have its own car park, it is currently being built! This will be a great development for the Tuggeranong community and good on the Brindabella member Andrew Wall for helping despite the lack of support by the ACT Labor Governement! Once again the ACT Liberals have the right priorities!

Antagonist, I have not heard of any plan to further extend the car park, I cant see how you could. I did hear a rumour that the Church were approached to see if use could be made of there car park but they refused. I notice the chain that blocked access to that car park has been down for some while now, you can bet your bottom dollar once the pool opens it will be back up. Someone else mentioned Lanyon, I have given up on Calwell after about 3pm now and head there instead if i need anything, Subway is better than the Greasy Spoon LOL.

Madam Cholet8:49 pm 13 Sep 14

I haven’t paid much attention to the development until such time as it has started to impact in accessing the centre. I can’t see where they are going to put any new extra parking.

I have noted a bit of an increase in capital works within the shopping centre itself and have wondered if renters have finally had enough and started demanding such things as repairs to the leaking roof and a bit of general maintenance across the board. There’s a few empty spaces due to some businesses downsizing so perhaps the message got through.

Steve Doszpot was the one who fought for the doctors surgery, which has been followed by a new dentists. He’s no where to be seen now that it’s going to be a traffic nightmare, sorry, meant to say, now that IT IS a traffic nightmare.

watto23 said :

Skelinoz said :

“On a general note Canberrans need to get over the fact that cars parks are going to disappear especially free ones, cause it makes more money developing on them. Given the outrage at paying for parking, i can’t imagine pay parking in group centres like Calwell would go down too well.

So basically Canberrans want free car parking, lower rates, but also want new things like swimming pools”.

Talk about swinging a story around to suit ones needs. No-one has mentioned Pay Parking anywhere including Calwell. Car parks are free at the local shops for a reason, your crossing there palm with silver. Remove car parks such as the one at Calwell, what do you think is going to happen? People just pull onto the nearest verge to hand and dodge the traffic to grab what they need? No car park at the local shops means no local shops period. The car user will vote with his wheels and shop elsewhere. Canberrans dont need to get over the fact car parks will disappear, because they won’t, and the free ones wont be going anywhere fast either. There a part of everyday life, maybe you need to get over it?

The problem is the car park at Calwell is also empty most of the day. So between 4-6pm the carpark is full. So to meet the peak demand, they need to have more open space going unused as car parks for the majority of the time. I’m not disagreeing that it will be a pain in the neck. The car park at Tuggeranong pool is also full during peak periods.

My observation of the parking at Calwell is quite the opposite. It is close to capacity for most of the day during business hours, with a peak from 15:00-18:30 weekdays. The current works for the pool have only made the problem significantly worse. Being located roughly halfway between Calwell and the Hyperdome, I have started using Coleworths at the dome as my local instead. You could say then, that people are already starting to talk with their wheels.

Does anyone know if there are plans to expand the current parking arrangements at Calwell?

Watto, you know the car park as well as i do. I have no doubt the swimming pool was approved because they counted the new slots built for the 2nd non existent park and ride. I agree the car park is quiet at times, but think about it 4-6 log jammed already, now take into account the new pool. Schools finish at 3 or 3.30, kids want to swim…. you get the picture.

watto23 said :

The problem is the car park at Calwell is also empty most of the day. So between 4-6pm the carpark is full. So to meet the peak demand, they need to have more open space going unused as car parks for the majority of the time. I’m not disagreeing that it will be a pain in the neck. The car park at Tuggeranong pool is also full during peak periods.

I think you’ll find the OP is saying the car park is full during peak periods without the pool users. What then is it going to be like when the pool opens?

Personally I agree with the OP. Calwell shoppers will just go to Lanyon if they can’t get a park, which is where we all went prior to the Woolworth’s being upgraded.

In short, all the good work they’ve done to attract custom to that shopping centre will be undone. At least until they build their new customer base in the guise of that old peoples home.

Skelinoz said :

“On a general note Canberrans need to get over the fact that cars parks are going to disappear especially free ones, cause it makes more money developing on them. Given the outrage at paying for parking, i can’t imagine pay parking in group centres like Calwell would go down too well.

So basically Canberrans want free car parking, lower rates, but also want new things like swimming pools”.

Talk about swinging a story around to suit ones needs. No-one has mentioned Pay Parking anywhere including Calwell. Car parks are free at the local shops for a reason, your crossing there palm with silver. Remove car parks such as the one at Calwell, what do you think is going to happen? People just pull onto the nearest verge to hand and dodge the traffic to grab what they need? No car park at the local shops means no local shops period. The car user will vote with his wheels and shop elsewhere. Canberrans dont need to get over the fact car parks will disappear, because they won’t, and the free ones wont be going anywhere fast either. There a part of everyday life, maybe you need to get over it?

The problem is the car park at Calwell is also empty most of the day. So between 4-6pm the carpark is full. So to meet the peak demand, they need to have more open space going unused as car parks for the majority of the time. I’m not disagreeing that it will be a pain in the neck. The car park at Tuggeranong pool is also full during peak periods.

“On a general note Canberrans need to get over the fact that cars parks are going to disappear especially free ones, cause it makes more money developing on them. Given the outrage at paying for parking, i can’t imagine pay parking in group centres like Calwell would go down too well.

So basically Canberrans want free car parking, lower rates, but also want new things like swimming pools”.

Talk about swinging a story around to suit ones needs. No-one has mentioned Pay Parking anywhere including Calwell. Car parks are free at the local shops for a reason, your crossing there palm with silver. Remove car parks such as the one at Calwell, what do you think is going to happen? People just pull onto the nearest verge to hand and dodge the traffic to grab what they need? No car park at the local shops means no local shops period. The car user will vote with his wheels and shop elsewhere. Canberrans dont need to get over the fact car parks will disappear, because they won’t, and the free ones wont be going anywhere fast either. There a part of everyday life, maybe you need to get over it?

watto23 said :

dungfungus said :

Perhaps not as silly as the lakeside stadium that Mr Barr is planning.
It will be built on a car-park and an existing swimming pool.

It makes complete sense to build it there. The pool is being relocated because its old and to renovate will cost as much as building a new pool. It fits perfectly with what they are trying to achieve. You just don’t like any progress in Canberra.

On a general note Canberrans need to get over the fact that cars parks are going to disappear especially free ones, cause it makes more money developing on them. Given the outrage at paying for parking, i can’t imagine pay parking in group centres like Calwell would go down too well.

So basically Canberrans want free car parking, lower rates, but also want new things like swimming pools.

The point I was making was that if the article contributor was alluding to the lack of provision for car parks at the proposed Calwell swimming pool not being a good idea then how smart was it to remove an existing pool ( for whatever reason) and associated car parks to build another stadium (which has already been downsized in planning).
Seeing as you believe “it fits perfectly with what they are trying to achieve” please explain where all the patrons for the stadium and Canberra venues generally will park their cars given your acceptance that free car parks will disappear.
I don’t consider removing all free car parks in Canberra as “progress” incidentally and while I don’t expect rates to lower I don’t want to see them increase regularly for PPPs (Pet Political Projects).

dungfungus said :

Perhaps not as silly as the lakeside stadium that Mr Barr is planning.
It will be built on a car-park and an existing swimming pool.

It makes complete sense to build it there. The pool is being relocated because its old and to renovate will cost as much as building a new pool. It fits perfectly with what they are trying to achieve. You just don’t like any progress in Canberra.

On a general note Canberrans need to get over the fact that cars parks are going to disappear especially free ones, cause it makes more money developing on them. Given the outrage at paying for parking, i can’t imagine pay parking in group centres like Calwell would go down too well.

So basically Canberrans want free car parking, lower rates, but also want new things like swimming pools.

Perhaps not as silly as the lakeside stadium that Mr Barr is planning.
It will be built on a car-park and an existing swimming pool.

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