Towers create anger
COUNCILLORS are facing a wave of opposition from residents in relation to two separate tower projects about to be approved at full council.
Twin towers of 22 levels on the Burleigh beachfront were approved by council’s planning committee last week despite several councillors preferring a smaller boutique hotel development which fitted with a “place analysis” for the suburb.
The towers (artist’s impression, pictured) at 48-58 The Esplanade and First Ave will be for permanent residents and tourists, giving an economic boost to the area by providing up to 50 permanent jobs.
Many residents have also voiced concerns about the planning committee ticking off on a 14-level apartment building onn Marine Pde, Biggera Waters.
A full council vote is needed before both projects can proceed.
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor welcomed the Biggera Waters building being downscaled from 72 units to 44 units, but was worried about car parking shortfalls.
A resident on his Facebook page posted: “So where is the parking for the cafe customers – Brighton St? Sorry, parking there already a major issue.”
Mr O’Connor told the Bulletin: “There are some substantial (positive) changes they’ve made. The biggest concern is the number of car parks for the cafe.
“There is literally nowhere to park there. They’ve ascertained that the cafe patrons will use the visitors’ car park.
“It’s on the edge of the state road, the Gold Coast Hwy, and Marine Pde is a yellow line because it is a narrow road.”
Another resident in a post to Mr O’Connor wrote: “So the visitors of 44 units need to share six car parks. Is that even remotely realistic? No car parks killed Surfers Paradise. Looks like Biggera Waters will be next.”
The Community Alliance has branded the Burleigh twin towers project “another disgraceful overdevelopment”.
The development was inconsistent with council’s place analysis study and its own commissioned visual amenity impact report, it said.
“A particular concern here is the alarming preparedness of a majority of councillors to ignore the reasonable expectations of the community, as reflected in the publicly consulted City Plan and relax away its provisions to the extent that they are meaningless,” the group said.