Powerful community group applauds tram height plan

PALM Beach residents are backing light rail plans for lower-rise apartment blocks of about 10 levels beside the trams.

After successfully fighting to stop The Collective development (inset), the Palm Beach Elanora Community Group has welcomed Department of Main Roads artist impressions showing development around the trams for the final link to the airport.

“This is what the community wants – an artist impression of TMR’s official proposal to turn Palm Beach Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly mall, complete with street outdoor-dining venues, as part of the light rail plan,” the group told the Bulletin.

Mayor Tom Tate agreed the height limit around Palm Beach would be about 10 levels, even when the trams passed through as part of Stage 4 light rail from Burleigh to Coolangatta.

“Our town plans have always been between eight and 10 storeys, and for Palm Beach we don’t intend to change any of that especially on the next amendment to the town plan,” he said.

“Now it shows that the developers should understand as well and don’t waste their money and our time to put something that’s more expectation. You can have the entrepreneurial spirit but listen to your community.”

Palm Beach Elanora convener Lancia Jordana stressed her group, representing more than 2000 residents, was not opposed to development “just to gross overdevelopments that threaten the amenity and appeal of our area”.

“This means outdoor cafes, restaurants and small shops at street level on the main avenues, well landscaped street frontages with ample shade trees to reduce heat islands, as well as midblock connections where pedestrians and cyclists can connect across the district centre.

“We also want the council to do more to address housing affordability when planning and approving residential apartment blocks, especially for younger people being priced out of suburbs where they need to work”.

Ms Jordana said her group and community had shown they were willing to work with council officers and developers to achieve sensible outcomes.

“But the days of ignoring community concerns about excessive overdevelopments are no longer acceptable.”

The Bulletin this week revealed the development application for the 18level The Collective had been rejected by Gold Coast City Council planners. Residents had argued it significantly exceeded the 39-metre height limit for the Palm Beach district centre.

Developer Paul Gedoun, whose company S&S Projects was behind the project, declined to comment on council’s decision on Tuesday.