‘It’s just unpleasant’: Car share spots drive wedge between cafe and council

1 week ago 3

Sipping a coffee in Darlinghurst, visitors to a local plant shop and cafe are first met with Parisian-inspired scenes of al fresco dining areas and potted plants overflowing with lush greenery. But shattering the illusion are two GoGet vans parked squarely in front.

Local cafe Stanley Green has been at odds with the City of Sydney for more than a year over the council’s refusal to move two car share spaces where GoGet vans are parked next to coffee tables from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.

Bobby Kamal, owner of the local cafe, says the council has dug its heels in and is refusing to move the car share spaces.

Owner Bobby Kamal is frustrated at the “visually detrimental” vans that he says obstruct views, disturbs customers and prevents visitors from fully enjoying the space. He has asked the council to move the two car share spaces so he can convert them into street dining space, but said it has not “budged”.

“The vans overshadow the space and block sunlight. It’s visual pollution for us – we’ve spent so much time and money creating this beautiful, inviting space. But the only thing you can really see is the GoGet vans,” Kamal said.

“Our customers are constantly interrupted by people carrying boxes or moving things – it’s just unpleasant. We get comments all the time that it shouldn’t be there, or that it would be so much better if we could increase our street dining.”

A City of Sydney spokesperson said the council had considered Kamal’s request “thoroughly”, but ultimately rejected it, pointing to outdoor dining guidelines that do not allow for outdoor dining to take up car share spaces.

“We appreciate that Mr Kamal is disappointed we are unable to relocate the car share spaces to extend Stanley Green’s on-road dining area,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Our priority is to ensure Sydney continues to have thriving outdoor dining spaces while maintaining sufficient space for others, including road users, cyclists and pedestrians. Car sharing, like GoGet, is beneficial to the community, resulting in fewer cars on city streets, reducing competition for parking and vehicle emissions.”

It took almost six months for one outdoor dining space at the Stanley Green plant shop and cafe to be approved by the council.

While the cafe currently has one outdoor dining space, Kamal is confused about why the council shot down his request for two more.

“We’ve been given a million different reasons and none of them really make sense,” Kamal said. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to understand why a corporation, GoGet, is being prioritised over a local business which actively contributes to the local economy and streetscape.”

Kamal has fought for an outdoor dining space since he opened the cafe in August last year. More than 1500 people signed a petition in favour of an outdoor dining space at Stanley Green, which local councillor Lyndon Gannon presented to Lord Mayor Clover Moore at a December council meeting.

After what he described was a lengthy process tied up with red tape, one space – equivalent to 5.6 square metres – was granted to the cafe in December.

Kamal says the GoGet vans parked outside his cafe are like “visual pollution”.

Asked why he threw his support behind Kamal’s cafe in December, Gannon said: “I have a background in hospitality, and I understand the challenges that small businesses – and in particular the hospitality sector – faces when it comes to council regulations.”

While he said it was “no secret” that he “wants all the outdoor dining we can get”, Gannon maintained this had to be balanced with council’s other goals.

“We are trying to get as many cars off the road as possible, and having GoGet vehicles is an important part of achieving that goal,” he said.

The City of Sydney’s approach to prioritising public amenity is also outlined in numerous strategy documents and action plans aiming to support, rather than stifle, community and culture. But Kamal believes this guidance contradicts how the council has dealt with his matter.

“We came into a dead corner and revitalised the space into a thriving little community hub, but it has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing that a small business has worked to achieve the vision that council has put forward, but the council themselves are the ones blocking us from doing that,” he said.

The council has taken active steps to promote outdoor dining, and in July permanently waived outdoor dining fees to support the city’s hospitality sector.

Yet, the city’s al fresco phenomenon has not come without its challenges. Some venues have been told to remove seating due to inadequate pedestrian or road space.

Kamal is exploring his legal options and is considering taking the council to the NSW Land and Environmental Court.

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