Residents call on council to stick to the planning scheme
Council is expected to decide next week whether or not the site of the once famous Palace Hotel, where the Bee Gees played their first paid gig, will be transformed into a 45m tall unit complex or not.
Moreton
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Moreton Bay Regional Councillors will decide on Tuesday whether or not a controversial unit development at Woody Point, north of Brisbane, is given the green light or not.
The development application for 2 and 8 Gayundah Esplanade, the site of the former Palace Hotel, was lodged by Traders in Purple earlier this year.
Traders in Purple hope to build a 45m tall unit complex, with 158 units as well as a restaurant, at the site, which will have uninterrupted views over Moreton Bay.
The development will include 13 two-bedroom townhouses and 145 units with three or more bedrooms.
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It will include 316 car park spaces, a landscaped communal space with a pool and alfresco dining area.
The food and beverage outlet will include just 11 car parks.
A council spokesman said if the plan was approved and the building constructed it would be the tallest in the Woody Point area.
“Other apartment buildings in the surrounding area are approximately 28-30m in high,” the spokesman said.
Under the new Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme the height restriction for this part of the suburb is 21m.
During the public consultation period 173 people supplied a submission to Moreton Bay Regional Council. Of those 28 were in support and 145 were opposed.
The report contained in the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting, regarding the development, recommends council approve the development.
It states:
“Development of a landmark development, taller than surrounding buildings, is appropriate for this site.
“While the proposed development includes additional height, it is not uniformly tall. The proposed development includes a range of building heights and a reduction in the previously approved number of units.
“While the proposal does not comply with all Examples within these Codes, the application has demonstrated compliance with the Performance Outcomes and Overall Outcomes.”
Julia Nuske who has lived at Woody Point since 1997 is one of the residents against the proposal.
She shared her thoughts on the development with council during the community comment part of Tuesday’s meeting.
Mrs Nuske said her biggest gripe with the development was the proposed height of the building.
“Why bother having a planning scheme if you are not going to follow it,” she said.
“Developments needs to be within the planning scheme, developers just keep pushing to have it higher and higher.
“There are rules about how much of my yard I can put a shed on and how high my fence can be but I can have a high rise next to me that is 21m or higher.”
Fellow resident Derek Caccerall said if approved it would be a “nightmare to live around”.
“I have spoken to over 150 people who object to this, I reckon 99.9 per cent of Woody Point residents would vote against this,” he said.
Earlier this year Moreton Bay Regional Council voted against a developer’s proposal to transform the Newport Marina. The developer had asked permission to build two six-storey unit complexes at the site.
This matter is currently before the Planning and Environment Court.
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