Hobsons Bay council and residents have raised concerns about a trend towards taller multi-storey development proposals, with three new planning applications ranging in height from six to eight storeys.
Planning & Property Partners (PPP), acting for Omni Property Group, plan to build an eight-storey, 56-dwelling development at
637 Melbourne Road in Spotswood.
Two other applications have not yet been advertised by the council. One is for a seven-storey, 28-dwelling development in Pier Street, Altona. The other is for a six-storey, 33-dwelling development for Aitken Street, Williamstown. The site is outside the Port Phillip Woollen Mill site, so an indicative height limit of three storey applies.
Williamstown resident Elizabeth McKeag said she was concerned about “the creep in the rise of the building heights”.
Wetlands ward’s Cr Carl Marsich told last week’s council meeting taller development impacted on the “ability to have the liveability across the city that we all value”.
“I am a bit concerned about some of the planning applications coming in,” he said.
“When I was previously on council, we were looking at maybe three or four or five storey-type of development. Now we’re looking at six and seven and eight-storey development.
“With these type of developments, you’ve got to consider that it impacts on our infrastructure, on our schools, on all our service needs.”
PPP director Paul Little said the eight-storey proposal for Spotswood had “been carefully considered with input from a range of specialist consultants and government agencies”.
“The site has been identified as a ‘strategic re-development site’ under relevant state planning policy and can accommodate an increase in residential density without unreasonably impacting on the locality,” he said.
“The sophisticated design of the building has been developed by leading architects Elenberg Fraser … the building will make a significant contribution to the urban character and built form of the area.”
Submissions on the Spotswood application close on Friday.
