CITY of Melville councillors have voted against its own planning officers’ recommendation that a 20-storey development in Applecross be approved, less than 24-hours before a final determination on the plans is due.
Land owner Mustera Property Group is seeking concessions for an extra 10 storeys height for the building at the corner of Forbes Road and Kishorn Road, which falls within the M-10 area of the Canning Bridge Activity Centre Plan (CBACP) area.
The M-10 area limits buildings to 10 storeys but developments that provide some community benefit can receive discretionary bonus height concessions.
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READ NOWThe Metro Central Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) is set to make a final decision about the development this afternoon.
Council planners believe the building will contain enough community benefits to warrant allowing an additional 10 storeys beyond the local area limit.Following three hours of debate of last night’s special council meeting, the council ticked off on councillor Nicholas Pazolli’s motion to inform the assessment panel that they wanted the development to be refused.
Cr Pazolli will present a deputation at the JDAP meeting on behalf of the council.
The City’s administration, meanwhile had provided the Responsible Authority Report and recommended approval, citing that the development was consistent with the goals of the CBACP and proposed exemplary design as well as high levels of sustainability and community benefit.
Among the benefits proposed are public toilets, a shower, locker, bicycle racks, a publicity accessible garden space, co-working space, 15 short-stay accommodation and the ceding on 125sqm of land to the State Government.
Every third floor of the development is proposed to have a sky garden, with six in total.
During the City’s consultation, 209 submissions were received with only five in support of the development.
Three community members Lyndon Rowe, Dayle Kenny and Clive Ross made a deputation before the council meeting, citing concerns about overshadowing, the lot size, the process for people to make submissions and deputations to the JDAP and the development’s “inconsistency” with the CBACP.
Several councillors shared the residents’ concerns and raised their own issues such as whether the community benefits merited an extra 10 storeys and its impact on residents.
Last year a proposal for a 16-storey Kintail Road development in the same M-10 area, which asked for grace for an additional six storeys, was rejected twice by the JDAP following concerns about its planned community benefits.
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