The former Hobsons Bay Caravan Park at Williamstown North is set to become a new estate housing about 400 people over 2.175 hectares.
Hobsons Bay council last week approved plans by Bayland Property Group for a $21.6million, 108-townhouse development in a new residential subdivision at 222-238 Kororoit Creek Road.
There will be 50 three-storey and 58 double-storey dwellings, and all except nine will have three bedrooms.
The development was approved last Thursday by a special planning committee comprising councillors Colleen Gates, Sandra Wilson and Jonathon Marsden.
The council has mandated that at least 10 per cent of the development will be earmarked for affordable housing.
It will also have a private waste collection, and its construction will result in the loss of 191 existing trees.
Urbis director Lloyd Elliott, representing the developer, said the townhouses would “create a positive new residential community”.
Cr Marsden described the planned housing estate as “an experiment”.
“It’s a very new experience for the council and the developer to put so many townhouses so close together in such a small space, and it’s something of an experiment,” he said.
Impassioned residents from an abutting cul-de-sac spoke passionately at the meeting against plans to create pedestrian access to the development from their quiet street.
All but two of the 21 households in Anile Place objected to plans to open up the western end of their cul-de-sac.
One resident brought an hourglass and placed it in front of the councillors to show what it would look like with potentially 400 new residents pouring through their street.
Another resident, Kenneth Sidebottom, said removing the fence at the end of Anile Place would destroy residents’ peace of mind.
“If removed, it places my home, family and my neighbours at increased risk of burglary, home invasion, attack, property damage, and negatively impacts all of our health, security and mental wellbeing,” he said.
The council agreed to keep the street as it is.
