Controversial tower in blue-chip suburb pushes for five more storeys after court win
The developers of a controversial Main Beach tower - which was shrunk after a battle with city council - are pushing for a growth spurt, leaving a residents association in shock. Read the latest.
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The developers of a controversial Main Beach tower which was shrunk after the city council refused to approve a taller version are pushing for a new growth spurt.
La Mer last week was reduced from 35 levels to 25 after negotiations with the council - but even that reduction sparked an outcry from the Main Beach Association.
The developers, the Polites Property Group and QNY, this week were applying to add five storeys to take the Main Beach Pde tower to 30 levels.
The initial development application for 35-storeys containing 30 apartments was knocked back in December 2021 by the council, after which the developers appealed to the Planning and Environment Court.
QNY director Anthony Quinn said since the 25-storey outcome was put forward in the court appeal, the planning considerations and landscape had changed materially.
“The design elements of the City Plan major amendment package 2 and 3 - which were listed as a reason for refusal of La Mer’s original development application and featured prominently in the appeal - have been rejected by the state and therefore no longer are relevant.”
Mr Quinn said a Planning and Environment Court judgment allowing Broadbeach high-rise tower Sea Glass to go ahead also set a precedent.
“The tower is of similar scale, within a similar setting, on a similar-sized site to La Mer and this judgement supported a height outcome similar to what is being proposed as part of the change application for La Mer.
“The new proposed height of 30 storeys remains subordinate to many other buildings, both existing and approved, in Main Beach, and still falls short from the original 35-storey development application.
“All other aspects of the approved design remain the same, including separation distances and density, with the increase in height being proposed to achieve a number of double-storey apartments.”
The request to add extra storeys to La Mer was being made via an ‘other change’ application.
“The objective of the proposed change is to make the project commercially viable, which will also enable the delivery of an upgrade and beautification of Beulah Lane, which is set to provide substantial public benefit,” Mr Quinn said.
“Based on a raft of approvals of similar applications, it would be unconscionable to refuse an additional five levels.
“The precedent that has been set would deem this application to be a minor change as it does not change the use or substantially change the development.”
Main Beach Association leader Sue Donovan was stunned about the push for five more storeys: “I’m really quite shocked.
“There is no beautification because there is virtually no setback on the site at all,” she claimed. “Because the State Government rejected amendments to the City Plan we are stuck with incredibly small setbacks.”
She said new towers were “changing the character of the suburb in a very dramatic way”.
Other approval changes in Main Beach Pde have seen the Pearl project, originally approved for 24 levels, have five storeys added and Midwater go from 47 to 55 floors.
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