SHENTON Park residents are outraged that a $2.75 million four-storey apartment block will cast a dark shadow over their homes claiming the development is close to five storeys, “dressed up as four”.
Residents banded together on Monday to voice their concerns to Metro West Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) members that approved the application for 95 Evans Street after nearly four hours.
The site is zoned as R80 under the City of Subiaco’s Town Planning Scheme 4, which prescribes a maximum building height of 12.5m.
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READ NOWHowever, the applicant Planning Solutions wants a 0.75m variation to the height as well as a roof top plant with a 1.8m variation.
Shenton Park resident John Dawson said the building was close to five storeys, “dressed up as four”.
“It’s a five storey building with an invisible roof top plant but it’s not invisible at all – I will see it each day for the remainder of my life,” he said.
Fellow resident Peter McDonald said the “Great Wall of 95 Evans Street” would cast a big shadow over adjoining properties.
“336 Onslow Road will be permanently deprived of sunshine from this development, the community garden on 336 Onslow Road has sunlight on the west facing wall, which gets quite a lot of light through the windows but all of it will be gone if 95 Evans Street was developed,” he said.
However, presiding member Francesca Lefante said the development was “appropriate in its context” and was “supportable.”
Subiaco resident Sarah Hopps said the “modern oversized multi-storey apartment block” was in “stark contrast” to the rest of the streetsc is close to five stoape.
Mr McDonald was also concerned dieldrin, an insecticide, found in soil at 95 Evans Street and its boundaries could contaminate neighbours but site contamination investigator Simon Gregg said it was “not at a contamination level”.