Windsor: Plan for high-rise hotel above Sandringham line goes to VCAT

A developer is refusing to give up on its vision of building a high-rise above a busy inner city railway line, with a VCAT appeal underway. Here are the plans.

An artist's impression of the proposed 10-storey complex across the Sandringham line near Windsor railway station. Picture: Supplied.

A high-rise hotel could be built over a busy train line on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, despite two council knock-backs.

SMA Projects has taken its plans for a 10-storey complex at 24-26 and 28 Chapel St in Windsor to VCAT after they were rejected by Stonnington Council in December.

The developer wanted to build a 111-room hotel on nine levels and shops on the ground floor, with the hotel positioned above airspace on the Sandringham railway line and next to Windsor railway station.

Council officers refused the application after receiving 115 objections, determining it would have “a dominating visual presence in this intimately scaled heritage streetscape of Windsor”.

The council also felt there was a lack of pick-up or drop off space for buses and cars which could impact safety on Chapel St, along with a lack of space for hotel deliveries and storage of supplies.

A multistorey hotel could be built over airspace near Windsor railway station. Picture: David Crosling

The plans also included no room for guest carparking and insufficient bike parking.

SMA Projects originally pitched a 20-storey development at the same location in 2017, which was also rejected by the council.

At Monday’s VCAT hearing, architect Graham Walker told the panel the building’s latest plans had been designed to fit in with the Chapel St streetscape on the bottom two levels, with the hotel set back on the railway line’s airspace.

He said planter boxes and use of similar colours to the exterior of Windsor railway station had also been factored in.

“The design is being true and honest to the functions and programs happening within it (the building),” he said.

Mr Walker said extensive assessment of acoustics had been carried out to ensure hotel guests would not be disrupted by train and tram noises in the area.

“It is important the design addresses the noise factor of the rail corridor … that was all looked at and advised on by acoustic engineers and factored into evolution of the design,” he said.

“The noise of the trams going over the bridge on Chapel St and the rattle of the trams is as much of an acoustic issue as the trains themselves.”

The hearing is set to continue throughout the week along with a site inspection by the tribunal’s panel.