THE Department of Lands wants prime foreshore land near the Beehive Montessori School and historic McCall Centre on Curtin Avenue on the Mosman Park-Cottesloe border rezoned for development.
Tonight, Cottesloe council will consider a request from the Department’s agent Rowe Group for a development zone north of the school and adjacent centre.
In July, Mosman Park councillors voted to support the school continuing after its lease expires in December 2017, and the school’s site is not in the proposal at Cottesloe tonight.
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READ NOWHowever, adjacent land has been part of a 20-year argument about how to use the nearby former Leighton rail yards, community use of the McCall Centre, and any new truck route from Fremantle Port along Curtin Avenue.
Any rezoning could assist the land being sold in State Government asset sales to combat debt reaching $40 billion because it could create prime beachfront properties with unobstructed views, if Curtin Avenue is ever realigned behind the school and the centre.
Concerns created by Landcorp include it first approaching council staff about rezoning, no details about the development’s composition and no indication of the realignment’s future now the Government has withdrawn $40 million for that project.
In April, Rowe Group asked Mosman Park staff about rezoning, which councillors opposed, and Mayor Ron Norris said while rezoning could mean the land could be used for “anything”, nothing should be done until Curtin Avenue congestion was resolved.
Leighton Action Coalition spokeswoman Sue Harrington said rezoning was “ad-hoc planning for a quick buck” when the affect of sea level rises had not been calculated.
Cottesloe resident Greg Dodds was allegedly left unaware of the rezoning proposal when he recently briefed councils on his proposed river-to-sea regional park through the potentially rezoned land, but Mr Dodd’s architect Simon Rodrigues said he did not oppose rezoning if the park’s viability was kept yesterday .
Landcorp and the Beehive Montessori School have been contacted for comment.