City hall in height strife

Residents on Millionaires’ Row look at legal action to block five-storey building

A COUNCIL decision to approve a five-storey building just off Hedges Ave could be headed for court.

Residents on Millionaires’ Row are considering legal action to stop the project on Montana Rd, which is more than two storeys above the area’s three-level height limit.

Residents, led by the Mermaid Beach Community As- sociation, say the development is both against the incumbent town plan and the suburb’s character.

Nine of the city’s 15 councillors voted to approve the development, which will be built behind the Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Height limits in Mermaid Beach have been reviewed as part of the council’s new City Plan 2015, which would allow for the project to be approved. However, city leaders are still working off the 2003 plan.

The 2015 plan is yet to come into effect, with councillors expected to approve it at a special council meeting next week.

Cr William Owen-Jones argued the Montana Road project, proposed by developer Quintero, should be assessed on merit.

“This is an attractive design and it will be a good asset for the area in time,” he said.

“We have noted that the draft City Plan 2015 will have different outcomes (for height limits) but this application was made under the 2003 plan and this is what we need to assess it under.

“The 2003 scheme is meritbased and this project itself has merit.”

The building, given preliminary approval last week despite 15 objections and a petition, was opposed by local residents and councillors Paul Taylor and Greg Betts. Cr Betts told colleagues at Thursday’s full

council meet- ing that community sentiment did not match city hall’s support.

“There has been strong opposition to increases in height limits and the residents want to keep the walkup character of the existing buildings,” he said.

“The encroachment of high rises is definitely changing the shape of this area where council has previously been fairly consistent in its approval of smaller buildings.”

The proposed apartment block will have nine units, including a penthouse and a basement car park.

Of the 15 submissions received last week, only 13 were issued correctly. The petition had 22 signatures.

Concerns raised included the building’s height, density, design, site coverage, amenity issues, noise and lack of car parking.

Council officers said these concerns were not enough to justify refusing the application.