A store owner’s bid to provide shade for people seated at tables on the footpath outside his business in the middle of Cooran’s King Street has turned into a major council project, likely to cost the community tens of thousands of dollars.
At its general meeting on Monday, councillors discussed the dilemma that stretched back to when a former councillor used his discretionary budget to place a couple of tables and chairs on public land outside the general store. The store owner has continually put umbrellas over the tables as a courtesy and the area became an established meeting place for the community.
But earlier this year council replaced the ageing tables, removing the ability to physically place the temporary umbrellas in the table top.
Cr Amelia Lorentson told the meeting the general store owner approached council in April to replace the umbrellas that had been removed only to be told it was outside their jurisdiction.
The owner was told he could apply for an outdoor dining permit, but that raised another problem as that may give the store exclusive rights over the space in which tables were provided by council and had always been a community area.
It had not been the store owner’s intention to have exclusive use of the area and he told Cr Karen Finzel he was happy to take ownership of the umbrellas and be responsible for putting them up and down as required.
But concerns were raised within council over “the liability and safety of the temporary umbrellas in this location, combined with consistency of approach with other public locations in Noosa“.
So a report was prepared that investigated outdoor settings across the shire and it came up with four options – two involving council taking responsibility for the shade and two in which the store owner takes responsibility..
The first two options involved council providing public outdoor shade umbrellas at an estimated cost of $30,000 or providing shade trees that officers said would take 5-10 years’ growth before providing adequate shade.
The other two options involved the business owner extending their shop awning or obtaining an outdoor dining permit which would require the council tables and chairs be replaced with the store owner’s tables and umbrellas.
Cr Brian Stockwell said the report raised a lot of issues including the liability of umbrellas and council’s role in providing shade.
“We seem to make things bigger than what it is,“ said Cr Amelia Lorentson, who put forward a solution.
Cr Lorentson’s motion determined:
Council provide free standing shade umbrellas in the streetscape as a short-term solution, undertake community consultation regarding the public use of the space and the subsequent design and construction of a long-term shelter and consider a budget allocation for the 2024-2025 financial year for supply and installation of additional mature shade trees in King Street Cooran in consultation with all local businesses and the community.
Her motion also included a request the chief executive officer prepare a budget bid for 2024-25 for a Cooran Recreation Precinct Plan which can examine the possibility of shade structures at places such as the Cooran Skatepark.
This motion provides simplicity, clarity, community safety and sun safety, Mayor Clare Stewart said.
“It’s a structure that’s safe and compliant. We took down the umbrellas. The community is begging us to put back shade. We took down two umbrellas. We have to replace them. This is a community space. We are in summer. We need to protect our residents.“
Cr Lorentson’s motion was carried unanimously and a final decision will be made at Thursday’s ordinary meeting.
