Campbell Street development knocked back by council

The Hobart City Council have made a decision on a 31-unit apartment block proposed for a central location. SEE THE LATEST

Campbell Street, Hobart. Picture: Googlemaps

THE Hobart City Council has knocked back a 31-unit apartment block proposed for Campbell St, after council officers found it would have exposed residents to unacceptable risk in the event of a flood.

The proposal from JMG Engineers and Planners would have seen the construction of interconnected residential buildings as high as six storeys (or 25.5 metres).

It would have included five two-storey townhouses, 12 two-bedroom apartments, five three-bedroom apartments and four sky homes, as well as a basement car park with 33 spaces, a large central courtyard and commercial tenancies.

The development would have spanned three lots of land, across 175, 177 and 179 Campbell St, where an office block, a residential building, and a commercial building are currently located, respectively.

Some of the buildings and outbuildings across the sites would need to have been demolished to make way for the development.

At a meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday evening, proponent Dean Coleman said the project would be a “standout development for North Hobart”.

“We’re very focused on making sure that we can get this project up,” he said.

However, officers recommended the development be refused because it didn’t meet the relevant acceptable solutions and performance criteria in the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme.

While some councillors voted to support the project, including Louise Elliot and Marti Zucco, a majority agreed with the officers’ recommendations.

Artists impression for an apartment complex on Campbell Street, Hobart. Pic: Cumulus.

The chief issue with the development, according to the officers, was its unsatisfactory flood safety and mitigation measures.

They said the proposed car park floor level was not acceptable and posed a level of risk to the users of the site, as well as adjoining or nearby land.

Another issue was that the proposed building height was not compatible with the scale of nearby buildings.

Acting Lord Mayor Helen Burnet said while the applicants had done “what they can” to improve the flood mitigation aspects of the development “it’s almost like things haven’t caught up with where they could be”.

She acknowledged that it was a “difficult site”, which had made it harder for the proponents to navigate the process.

“I do have a considerable concern about the safety of people who are quite vulnerable, with potentially poor mobility, in a situation like this, as well,” Ms Burnet said.

Originally published as Campbell Street development knocked back by council