ABOUT 75 per cent of people who took part in a Redland City Bulletin poll have backed the controversial Chefs Inc proposal for al fresco food markets at Cleveland.
It comes as councillors vote 8-3 to approve the eat street-style proposal.
Proponents Sharon and Colin Mason are still to meet a series of licensing approvals and conditions.
Almost 800 people voted in the Bulletin poll, with 590 backing the proposal, 168 against and a further 27 undecided.
Cleveland business people like Hog’s Breath Cafe boss Paul Piert have attacked the plan, saying the area is saturated with restaurants.
Janine Roger of Raby Bay’s CC Cafe said she understood that council could not pick and choose between supporting businesses but the prospect of Chefs Inc starting up was daunting.
The slow economy over the past two years had been difficult. She also had faced a business partnership break-up mid-winter, a tough time of year as people tended to eat out more in the warmer months.
“I just don’t know how long we can keep going,’’ she said. “The economy is not what it used to be and we’re just getting through winter. Things just keep piling up.’’
The proposal is for al fresco dining to run Friday, Saturday and Sunday behind the Cleveland Library. It will seat more than 300 diners, have a bar and stage, with outlets mostly in shipping containers.
Cr Paul Bishop said he was concerned that shipping containers were the right look. It also was a worry that a busy car park would be closed on weekends and he wondered about commercial impacts.
The project would be visually intrusive and noise and odour implications should be reviewed.
Cr Bishop said it was difficult taking a decision on the issue when councillors had not yet seen a lease agreement. “Will this be an impost on residents?’’ he asked.
Cr Paul Gleeson said it was one of the toughest items to come before council and it had many benefits and negatives. “This thing has the capacity to bring people in (to the CBD) but will it?’’ he said. “I’m really torn.’’
To muted jibes from business people in a packed public gallery, Mayor Karen Williams backed the proposal, saying the shipping containers were no different to those seen all over the capital. Council already leased out public areas for commercial operations like markets and sporting events. “We do it every day,’’ she said.
She said the Bulletin poll showed that local people wanted to stay local and eat local and the proposal might bring people into the CBD. “If we can’t do this here in the CBD, we can’t do it anywhere in Redlands,’’ she said.
Cr Paul Golle said he wanted to see the detail of the project’s noise and odour conditions, especially in the light of stringent rules placed on local fisherman Greg Wood’s far smaller operation.