This article is from page 4 of the 2008-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
SEVERAL MEMBERS of Ennis Town Council yesterday expressed mixed views over the proposed re- zoning of Cusack Park to construct the €350 million RiverSide Quarter.
In a bid to fast-track the rezoning, the Clare GAA have submitted a rezoning application with the town council, rather than the wait for the new Ennis Development Plan to come into force in 2009.
The public will be able to make submissions on the plan over the next four weeks. After that process Ennis
Town Manager, Tom Coughlan has two months in which to draw up a re- port and present it to the council.
The nine-member council will then have a further six weeks to consider the proposed rezoning. Majority sup- port is needed for it to pass.
In financial terms and the impact it will have on Ennis, the decision by the members is set to be the biggest they will make in their time to date as councillors.
The €350 million RiverSide Quar- ter will comprise of a 15,000 sq m net retail area, a food court, ten res- taurants, an eight screen cinema, a
200-bed four-star hotel, a 100-bed budget hotel, office, 200 residential units, a civic centre and a hub for a new urban bus service. The plan also includes a riverside boardwalk, a pla- za for weekly events and markets, a creche and 1,100 car parking spaces at basement level.
Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind), a stead- fast opponent of the plan, re-iterated his opposition. He said that “there is no point talking about rezoning Cu- sack Park because planning cannot be got for the GAA stadium on the Quin Road as it is a flood plain.”
However, Cllr Peter Considine (FF)
said that his gut instinct was to favour the rezoning and not have further re- tail be driven to the outskirts.
He said, “We should try to retain as much commercial activity in the town centre as possible because I would have a worry about this out of town mall syndrome.”
Cllr Considine cautioned that re- zoning was no guarantee of planning permission being granted.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that he remained open-minded in relation to the rezoning.
“However, I am not convinced that it should take place at Cusack Park.”