Crunch vote to decide fate of €35m shopping centre

Date Published: 07-Jul-2011

BY CIARAN TIERNEY

A controversial rezoning which would pave the way for a €35 million hypermarket and petrol station at Rahoon Road could yet go either way when Galway City Council meets to vote on the matter for a second time next Monday.

The proposed rezoning of a site owned by former Fianna Fáil Mayor Micheal O hUiginn split the Council when it came to a vote last January and, following a legal challenge, has divided the local community in recent weeks.

Although the Council voted 7-7 on the matter in January, before the rezoning was blocked by the casting vote of the then Deputy Mayor, Cllr Brian Walsh – who is now a TD for Galway West – the Galway City Tribune has established that councillors who previously backed it will reconsider their position over the weekend.

Strong views, both for and against the proposed rezoning, were expressed during a heated meeting at the Ardilaun House Hotel on Wednesday night which was attended by 13 of the 15 city councillors.

More than 120 people, including Mr O hUiginn, attended the meeting which was organised by residents’ associations in Maunsells Road and Park, Highfield Park, and Shantalla.

The FF members of Galway City Council said yesterday that they would be re-examining their support for the rezoning after hearing vocal opposition from some local residents at the Ardilaun.

“I said it was a pity that this meeting wasn’t held last August,” said Cllr Peter Keane (FF), who proposed the rezoning last January. “I have not made my mind up on this and I am going to continue calling around to people to see how they feel about it over the weekend. I am keeping an open mind.”

The former timber yard at Rahoon Road is already zoned for commercial use, but a rezoning to designate it as a district centre would make it more difficult for objectors to block plans for a large supermarket on the 9.55 acre site.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.