Palm Beach residents luxury hotel tower planned for site of The Collective would ‘destroy local identity’

A controversial tower proposed for Palm Beach has “no public benefit” and would “destroy local identity” in the beachside suburb, architects have told residents.

A controversial 21-storey tower proposed for Palm Beach has “no public benefit” and would “destroy local identity” in the beachside suburb, according to leading architects.

Almost 100 Palm Beach residents packed a community hall on Wednesday night for a community meeting on the tower development, joined by area councillor Daphne McDonald, MP Michael Hart, and representatives of town planners.

The Bulletin last this month outlined how the village beachfront community is facing a twin towers development turn with The Collective at 23 storeys, and the Changfa tower at 21 storeys, to be built opposite each other on the Gold Coast Highway.

Two new towers, different developments, planned for Palm Beach.

Consultants for The Collective provided 620 pages of planning documents to council, and flagged it would listen to concerns from residents and they understand the tower will now be reduced to 21 storeys, still much higher than the 14-level Nexus tower approved for the suburb in March.

Architects Lindsay and Kerry Clare of Clare Design have received more than 40 state and national awards from the Australian Institute of Architects for housing, public, recycling, civic, and commercial projects and worked to design Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art and refurbishments of Sydney’s Circular Quay.

Lindsay Clare told the meeting: “This sort of design from the 1970s has been proven to erode the public realm and give dominance to the private realm.

“There is no division of separate, communal open space or residence. There is no natural light or air to lift light or corridors.

“The building is reliant 24/7 on artificial light and air. This is an unacceptable design all around given the ongoing Covid issues.

“It’s not just a poor outcome, it’s a very, very bad outcome, I don’t know that I could honestly plan anything like that.

“I think it’s unsympathetic to the character of Palm Beach.

“It’s architecturally mediocre, it doesn’t make a positive contribution to the character, (and) I believe it’s a catalyst to destroy this unique place.”

The Palm Beach District Centre District, under the City Plan, was considered in the lowest height level of all urban centres along the Coast.

Residents attend a community meeting against a controversial Palm Beach tower.

Higher buildings are approved at Broadbeach, a Principle Centre and Coolangatta, a Major Centre under the City Plan.

Residents at the meeting were urged to file an objection to council planners before submissions close on April 13.

Cr McDonald said: “Council officers wrote, ‘The proposed development presents noncompliance with an existing benchmark in the City Plan’.

“The officers didn’t know the application had been advertised in the paper until I rang them.

“They presented 27 issues to the application as an information request, one was building height, podium height, density requests.

“There was a whole list there.”

8LA Landscape Architecture’s co-director Gerard McCormick also took aim at the design of the proposed development.

He told residents hanging plants on the building’s sides were “just lipstick on a gorilla”.

“It takes away the diversity of the streetscape,” he said.

S & S Projects, which is redeveloping the popular dining venue at The Collective, believe the suburb’s planned first five-star boutique hotel will set the area up as a dining destination.

Clock ticking on ‘watershed’ tower battle

Earlier: Palm Beach residents protesting against a planned luxury high rise hotel are requesting council extend the deadline for objections, saying it will be a “watershed” development.

A 15-day extension is being sought by the Palm Beach Elanora Community Group which has support from 550 residents wanting to prepare submissions for The Collective tower.

Palm Beach Elanora Community Group – John Volz, John Hicks and Jill Snell are concerned about another high rise development on the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach.

The Bulletin earlier this month outlined how the village beachfront community is facing a twin towers development turn with The Collective at 23 storeys, and the Changfa tower at 21 storeys, to be built opposite each other on the Gold Coast Highway.

Palm Beach Currumbin Elanora Residents/Community Group (PBCERCG) spokesperson Lancia Jordana has written to council CEO Tim Baker asking for more time after consultants for The Collective provided 620 pages of planning documents to council.

The developer had flagged it would listen to concerns from residents and they understand the tower will now be reduced to 21 storeys, still much higher than the 14-level Nexus tower approved for the suburb earlier this month.

Two new towers, different developments, planned for Palm Beach.

“This is a watershed DA for Palm Beach/Elanora community,’ Ms Jordana told the Bulletin.

“The height, density and bulk will result in an ugly thick concrete structure with no setbacks or landscaping at ground level. It is simply on too small a parcel of land for the size desired by the developer.

“Along with the second tower on the opposite corner — very coincidently also 21 stories — these twin towers will alter the Palm Beach skyline to be more like the cityscapes of Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta.”

Ms Jordana said the Palm Beach District Centre District, under the City Plan, was considered in the lowest height level of all urban centres along the Coast.

Higher buildings are approved at Broadbeach, a Principle Centre and Coolangatta, a Major Centre under the City Plan.

PBCERCG wrote to council last week after discovering the developer provided more reports.

Artist impression of The Collective tower at Palm Beach

“The community has a reasonable expectation that council should give residents a fair opportunity to properly evaluate the material and write considered objections for such a significant and controversial proposal,” Ms Jordana said.

“From our initial assessment it appears the only concession of any substance the developer has made to a very comprehensive information request by council planners is to reduce height by just 2 stories — from 23 to 21 stories.

“At 76.85 metres this is still well outside the City Plan recommended height of 39 metres plus 50 per cent uplift — which equates to 59 metres.”

The group is staging a community meeting on April 7 at the Care & Share Centre at Tenth Ave, Palm Beach, to provide information and help residents with their objections.

S & S Projects, which is redeveloping the popular dining venue at The Collective, believe the suburb’s planned first five-star boutique hotel will set the area up as a dining destination.