Trouble is brewing over plan

“Heights are not an issue, what we care about is how the development deals with infrastructure like paths, parking, recreation facilities and access to public transport,” North Fremantle resident and organiser of a 160-resident petition to join Mosman Park, Geoff Totterdell, said.

Residents fear traffic from up to 1000 potential apartments in Fremantle Council’s special development zone for the area will block McCabe Street, Stirling Highway and Thompson Road in North Fremantle.

The council’s structure plan for the brewery includes apartments up to 20m high on McCabe Street, where the One Steel and Taskers sites are also part of the zone.

The plan is for a 17m-high development behind the brewery’s historic offices and 14m overlooking the neighbouring Minim Cove residents who are now seeking to join Mosman Park because of an alleged lack of services provided by the port city.

Commercial and mixed-uses would continue in the brewery’s offices, a 900sq m-1000sq m public open space allowed at the back of the brewery’s glass-sided warehouse, and traffic would not be allowed south from McCabe Street to Thompson Road.

North Fremantle Community Association’s Gerard MacGill said the plan’s design guidelines “appeared consistent” with those in community discussions with Fremantle Council but they needed in-depth analysis.

Mosman Park Mayor Ron Norris said the structure plan addressed some concerns about McCabe Street planning but the density and heights proposed at the brewery may require his council responding to Fremantle’s ideas for the site.

“The underlying issue is which council will have regulatory control of the area, and where the council boundary may be, by the time any development needs to be considered,” Mr Norris said.

Submissions about the brewery’s structure plan are due to Fremantle Council by February 19 and the Local Government Advisory Board may decide on the residents’ request to leave Fremantle later this month.