Quiet character street. Giant unit block. Something doesn’t fit.

Plans to build a huge unit block on an Indooroopilly street make a mockery of a transition zone designed to protect the area’s character.

Indooroopilly resident Michael Yeates in front of a proposed development in Rylatt St. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Indooroopilly residents are furious after discovering a developer has applied to build a six-storey unit complex opposite character housing in quiet Rylatt St.

That side of the street is supposed to the edge of a “transitional zone’’ between medium density and low-density housing.

Opponent Michael Yeates and other neighbours claimed the project would create a sheer wall much greater in bulk and impact than other, smaller unit blocks on the street.

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Council is still assessing the proposal and residents have approached Councillor James Mackay (Walter Taylor) and state Greens MP for the area, Michael Berkman, to express their concerns.

Mr Yeates, a retired architect who has lived in the area for 67 years, said the transition zone had no conditions to outline what the term meant.

“There are a number of three-storey units in the street, and nearby, which have a reasonable scale for a transition,’’ Mr Yeates said.

“Yet that height was not proscribed as a requirement in the Town Plan. Why not?

“It is yet another example of oversized developments encroaching on the sense of community in Brisbane and intruding into the scale of local housing options.

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“Putting up big blocks like this will create a ghastly cube effect in neighbourhoods – towering walls of buildings opposite streets with lower-density housing.

“It’s the opposite of what the plan calls for, by having transition areas. This can be seen in Toowong and along Clarence Rd in Indooroopilly, with more to come.’’

Mr Yeates said the project “massively’’ exceeded code specifications in terms of both gross floor area and site coverage.

“It also fails to meet purpose 3e of the neighbourhood code, which requires any development in areas with strong traditional architectural character (pre-1946 buildings) to ‘complement traditional streetscape characteristics’,’’ he said.

“It is diagonally opposite a childcare facility that was required to keep old buildings because it’s in the special Moggill Rd precinct, and one street parallel to the special Jackson St heritage preservation precinct.’’

Mr Berkman said the project should be refused.

“Neighbourhood plans exist for a good reason, so now is not the time for Council to cave in at the negotiating table,’’ he said.

“Profit-hungry developers will always push to squeeze every last dollar out of every project. Examples like this are exactly why I’m pushing for an overhaul of the State Planning Act.’’

Developer, Dr Zhen-Yu (Martin) Ding, was contacted for comment.