Controversial prestige westside unit project approved

Residents in an upmarket westside suburb have until next week to appeal against Council’s decision to approve a unit project which drew more than 50 objections.

St Lucia residents have until next week to lodge an appeal against Council’s decision to wave through a controversial 46-unit luxury development.

“Ethereal Residences’’ is the latest in a wave of luxe unit blocks proposed or under construction on swanky Swann Rd in Brisbane’s inner-west, which locals say is choking under the strain of relentless unit projects.

The road is regularly closed at the moment to allow for movement of trucks at one building site.

Last month Council officers approved the 97 Swann Rd Ethereal Residences, which was upsized after developer Made & Crafted Jv (Swann Road) Pty Ltd acquired a 500 sqm house site adjacent to the property.

How the project would look from the street.

The approval can be appealed in the Planning & Environment Court, with the appeals period ending next week.

However, only one Brisbane resident has won a major court appeal in recent years and massive legal costs mean most people cannot afford to take their objections to court.

North, a cross-studio collaboration between architects RotheLowman, Carr Design and Form Landscape Architects, have released renders of the 46 two-bed, two-bed plus multipurpose room and three-bed apartments.

The building, terraced down steep Rennie St, also fronts Swann Rd and Burns St.

North managing director, Scott Ginnivan, told a development website his vision for Ethereal Residences was to deliver an “exceptional standard of architecture to Brisbane’s inner west that celebrates its elevated position’’.

Artist's impression of the terraced area.

“Here, large balconies provide a sense of generosity and space that feels more like a veranda on a house and enables the building to ‘breathe’,” he said.

The project will include a plunge pool, barbecue area and extensive landscaping.

An on-site sales suite opened last month for private viewings, by appointment only.

The project will be formally launched to the market by Colliers International early next year.

St Lucia and Indooroopilly residents have flooded Council with dozens of objections to Made & Crafted’s “minor change’’ application to upsize the project.

They said there were already two other unit projects under construction nearby on Swann Rd, as well as a new ColesLocal being built at the intersection of Moggill Rd.

But planners acting for the developer said in the development application (DA) that the new project would look “almost identical’’ from the street and should be approved.

Render of the interior of one of the units.

“Swann Rd currently has three construction sites within several blocks of this site – Coles, and two other apartment developments,’’ one resident wrote in a submission.

“At least two more buildings have been completed in the last 12 to 18 months.

“Swann Rd is a major arterial road already carrying traffic to and from UQ (University of Queensland) and four local schools, which results in queues at least in the afternoons every working day.

“Current developments, including the Coles development at the western end of Swann Rd, bring so much heavy traffic onto this road (but there is) no plan to manage this ongoing increased traffic.

“Swann Rd is a winding road with limited visibility at many intersections.

“The Burns St/Swann Rd intersection is a particularly dangerous one given the steepness of the land and roads at this point which seriously limit traffic visibility.

“With 50 more residences in this space it will only become much worse.’’

Resident Gervase Griffith and Cr James Mackay celebrate the drop in the speed limit on Swann Rd.

In May last year the speed limit was dropped from 60kmh to 50kmh, after lobbying from local Councillor James Mackay, because of safety concerns.

Cr Mackay letterboxed residents last year about the original Made & Crafted Jv plans and lodged a formal objection.

He also recently announced that public consultation on a pedestrian crossing on Swann Rd, between Clarence Rd and Princess St, would open soon.

Local state Greens MP, Michael Berkman, said traffic was already bad and was destined to get even worse.

“One problem is that these developers will make big profits from these properties, but they’ll contribute little to no funds for accompanying local public infrastructure,’’ Mr Berkman said.

“If we introduced a windfall gains tax on developers who make big profits from favourable rezonings, and increased Council infrastructure charges, we could fund additional public transport to lessen the impacts of these proposals.

“That could include more 417, 427, 428 and 432 buses, high frequency routes between UQ and Indooroopilly, and a bus lane to get cars off the road and bust congestion.

“Swann Rd is also really unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, so Council needs to address those safety concerns especially as density increases.”

A ColesLocal is presently under construction at the intersection of Swann and Moggill roads.

Made & Crafted Jv applied in September to increase the original proposed overall building height.

But its planners said in the DA documents that the most recent changes removed elements of the building which previously contributed to it being higher than that previously approved.

“The development as now proposed is the same number of storeys as previously approved,’’ they wrote.

“The increase in the total number of units is considered proportionate to the inclusion of an additional lot.’’

Car parks would also increase, from 72 to 110 (including nine visitor spaces).

It also asked for a small increase in site cover to just under 60 per cent, which many objectors noted was well above planning rules for the area.

Resident Laurel Basingthwaite said in her submission that the previous 37-unit proposal was acceptable but she strongly opposed increasing that to 50 units.

“The roads in this area are narrow for the amount of heavy traffic constantly using them,’’ she said.

“Even though the building has some carparking there will not be sufficient for visitors and tradespeople.

“Very nearby in Swann Rd a block of units on the corner of Beatrice St has no visitor parking at all.

“As Swann Rd has a lot of yellow-lined areas this, and the proposed block, will only exacerbate (problems with) safe road use.’’

Another resident wrote that no allowance had been made for traffic impacts of approved and future developments in the medium density zone between Swann Rd and Rennie St/Central Ave.

For more details and to read more submissions visit Council’s online DA portal, developmenti, and search for application A005625631.