IT'S 15 years since Brewer Street residents at Capalaba won a court battle that stopped Bunnings occupying a corner block on Old Cleveland Road East, adjoining Brewer Street.
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Now residents say they are concerned the new City Plan 2015 could reignite the issue with the land on the corner earmarked to allow "warehousing".
They claim if a court ruling made in 2000 is overturned it would turn their residential street into a traffic jam servicing a large Bunnings-style warehouse and a nearby aged care home.
Bunnings still owns the land and said it would continue to review its options and keep the community informed of any plans for the site.
In 2000, the residential Brewer Street was to be a key entry and exit point for the planned Bunnings megastore.
Bunnings bought the first nine houses in the street for their big green shed. They were demolished after vandals moved in.
Since then, CapellaBay McKenzie Aged Care Facility has been built and occupied. Its street address is 264 Old Cleveland Road East, although there is no entry to the complex from that road.
Resident Amy Glade said she believed Bunnings was still keen on using the Number One Brewer Street site.
"But the old traffic problems would be even worse using the same entry exit that is being used by CapellaBay McKenzie Aged Care Facility," she said.
"That could see hundreds of motorists using the same entry and exit which would be unacceptably bad planning."
The original Bunnings plan was stopped in its tracks on January 14, 2000 when Senior Judge Tony Skoien handed down his 13-page decision.
Ms Glade said she hoped the court ruling would not be overturned when Redland City Council and local government representatives assess the structure in the new town plan.
She said the hard work of young barrister Steve Keliher, fresh out of law school, taking on the case, pro bono, saved Brewer Street residents from having to travel through Bunnings land to reach the main road, which is what was planned for the site pre-2000.
"Nowhere are mega warehouses built alongside residential streets," Ms Glade said. "They are in ‘stand alone’ locations so Redland Council must watch this corner very carefully.
"Consideration must be given to what would be endless traffic pollution concentrated in this particular corner of Capalaba."
Bunnings General Manager Property Andrew Marks said Bunnings had been part of the Redland community for more than 17 years with its Bunnings Warehouse at Capalaba on the corner of Mount Cotton and Pittwin North Road.
