Mont Albert North: Development fears for Kenmare St

Plans to replace two-single storey houses with 12 double-storey townhouses in a quiet Mont Albert North street have got nearby homeowners up in arms — and it’s not the only development proposed for the area.

50 Kenmare St is one of the two properties that would host the 12 townhouses.

A group of Mont Albert North neighbours fear their leafy street will become “absolute chaos” if “inappropriate” proposals continue to be approved.

An application to build 12 double-storey townhouses in place of the two single-storey houses at 48 and 50 Kenmare St has just been filed, while seven double-storey houses are going up next-door at No 46.

And they hold fears for a further property which has been bought by a developer.

The proposal for Nos 48 and 50 would place a total of 50 bedrooms on the properties — a massive increase on the eight bedrooms across the two single-storey houses presently on the land.

48 Kenmare St is one of the two properties that would host the 12 townhouses.

The $2.5 million overhaul would also remove 18 of the site’s 20 trees and would offer 26 carparks.

Helen and Owen Wells, who have lived in the street for 35 years, said they were concerned because the road had a lack of on-street parking, with vehicles already being parked on nature strips illegally.

“It will be absolute chaos,” Mr Wells said.

“We don’t want to stop development, we just want appropriate development.”

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Mrs Wells said more carparks would be needed for 12 houses, with some of their neighbours having four cars between one family.

She said she was also worried about the “sheer bulk” of the planned development, which would “loom” over the street on the uphill sloping site.

The development would be built in place of two single-storey houses.

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she was concerned about the many pedestrians who used the street.

“Cars will be coming out onto curved road,” she said. “It will be difficult for people leaving the property to see.”

She said she was concerned about the number and size of the units, which would all be connected in a U shape.

“It almost looks like a commercial office building”.

Another Kenmare St resident agreed the plans represented a “gross overdevelopment”, and would be “completely out of character of the area”.

JLP Melbourne Town Planning consultant James Livingston, who is managing the application, said the proposed carparking and design complied with the Whitehorse Planning Scheme.

He said a qualified traffic engineer had assessed and approved the proposed access to and from the site.

A traffic report within the planning application states: “There are no reasons why a permit for the proposed development should not be issued from a traffic engineering perspective, subject to appropriate conditions.”

Whitehorse Council rejected plans for six double-storey dwellings at No 44 in 2017.

It also refused the works taking place at No 46, but was overruled by VCAT.