Residents fighting apartment project
A NEW apartment building proposed for Sandy Bay is too high, will impinge on the views of existing residents and create serious parking issues, say a group of residents rallying against it.
Hobart City Council’s planning committee on last Monday night rejected the plan for 2 Sayer Crescent, going against the advice of council officers who had recommended it for approval.
The plan is for a four-storey, 14.8m-high building, and
involves demolition of the existing building at the address, and construction of 14 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
The proposal will go before the full council Monday night, and nearby residents such as Colleen McCulloch believe it should again be knocked back.
“It’s not going to block our view, but it will concern us with traffic ... it will also overshadow us in winter, so we’ll lose the sun earlier,’’ she said.
“It’s not a major impact on us, but it is for a lot of others.”
Ms McCulloch, who lives in Marieville Esplanade, said she had been co-ordinating a campaign since late last year on behalf of residents opposed to the project.
As a result, 36 representations were lodged with the council against the proposal, with concerns including overshadowing, amenity, traffic and parking issues.
She said she had invited members of the council’s planning committee to visit the site – and many of them had – and she had since extended the same invitation to
the entire council. Ms McCulloch said the property proposed to be demolished was a “beautiful old residence”, but was not heritage-listed.
At last Monday night’s meeting, Irene Duckett, appearing on behalf of the applicant, said residents had been consulted on the plan, with letters sent to residents of adjoining properties. She said due to Covid restrictions, there was no option but to have it via a Zoom meeting.
The proponent was in Singapore at the time.
The plan was knocked
back by the planning committee in a vote of 5-1, with only Alderman Simon Behrakis voting in favour.
Alderman Jeff Briscoe said that while he believed the design was good, the proposal was “pushing the envelope too far” and his view was that the building was “one level too high”.
Deputy Mayor and committee chair Helen Burnet said the application was “really good in many ways”, but it was “the bulk and the height which is of concern”.