Apartment height alarm

Developers try to extend North Hobart project

A DEVELOPMENT application to extend an apartment project in North Hobart has been carried by the Hobart planning committee, despite work having started on an already approved DA.

The development at 66 Burnett St was approved in 2019, but now the developers are hoping to make it one storey higher.

“In 2019, a 21.5 metre high building was applied for which was seven storeys,” Councillor

Bill Harvey said. “That was rejected and the compromise was five storeys, and now we’re going back to six storeys again.

“When it comes to height, why should we agree to an additional height when we’ve already set a height which was 14.2 metres?”

If approved, the new height would be 17.75 metres.

The changes would make way for eight additional residential dwellings, adding up to 65 on site.

Representing the developer, IreneInc planner Jacqui Blowfield, said the redesign “substantially reduced the development”.

“The previous development and the original iteration of the building had levels across the entirety of the site, so the highest part was at the Tasma

end,” Ms Blowfield said. “This proposal increases the height by the extra 2½ metres above the acceptable solution height of 15 metres.

“But it does so in part of the height where it’s at its furthest distance from those residential neighbours.”

One resident speaking on behalf of a group of residents raised concerns about parking and height.

“North Hobart is grappling with a parking crisis,” the resident said.

“Our concern is that by increasing the parking deficiency from an already troubling 61 spaces to 82, the development will add to an intolerable burden to the existing crisis plaguing on-street parking in North Hobart.”

Ms Blowfield said the development tried to balance the provision of carparking and other transport options were accessible.

“This site is located on a major bus route where you’ve got a service going through every ten minutes,” she said.

“I think the pre sales do demonstrate the people looking to live in this build are aware of what the parking requirements are and what their transport needs are for them to live in this location.”

The matter will go before the full council on Monday.