Bid for Mona hotel passes early hurdle

A REZONING decision to pave the way for a $300 million hotel at Mona has passed its first hurdle.

The area around Mona should be rezoned and covered by a specific area permit, a Glenorchy City Council plan- ning authority meeting has decided.

If approved by the Planning Commission, its new status will allow the area to be developed under new modern zoning – enabling consideration of the proposal for a five-star Mona hotel.

Commissioner Sue Smith said the agreement to push for a specific area permit to cover the Berriedale precinct was just the first step in the process.

“It recognises what the area is today and what it might be,’’ Mrs Smith said.

“It is about much more than just rezoning to potentially allow a hotel to be built.”

The rezoning decision will now be advertised to give the community an opportunity to have a say before it goes to the Planning Commission for final approval.

“What we have done is agreed to go to the next stage. A specific area permit gives flexibility of operation and po- tentially a hotel into the ture,” Mrs Smith said.

The Mona hotel (also known as Homo) proposal involves a 63m-high building with 172 rooms.

A new specific area permit would allow Mona to submit a development application for Homo. fu-