Nod at last for rezoning

Councillors approved the rezoning last week despite pleas from several neighbours in the public gallery to preserve their amenity and retain the restaurant use.

Freshwater Close resident Kerry Ross said a council report had incorrectly stated there were nine townhouses east of the site when four of those were single storey.

Margaret Kennedy said her mother lived in one of the single storey homes and was against the rezoning because neighbours would be able to look over her courtyard fence.

Tom Senior has lived in Freshwater Close for the past 40 years and said there were 150 homes within 100m of the site that would benefit from a coffee shop or facility that could be used by locals.

‘Since the restaurant was gutted, no real effort’s been made to try an alternative use other than repeated applications for rezoning,’ Mr Senior said.

However, Cr Jill Goetze said the site was ‘totally inappropriate’ for a restaurant.

Cr Peter Edwards said the Planning Minister was likely to approve the rezoning because of the ‘pro development government’ and this was the only sensible redevelopment option for the site.

‘Unfortunately, some residents will be affected by it,’ Cr Edwards said.

Applicant Mark Taylor has applied for an R25 zoning five times since 2000, when the site first became vacant.

The application was last refused by the council in 2011.