Plans for a dwelling that’s twicethe size of an average blockcause big headache for council
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That is the question causing concerns at Shoalhaven City Council as it battles with an application to build a home covering nearly 1500 square metres beside a quiet lane outside Berry.
“It’s a full-on resort that they’re building,” said Cr Andrew Guile, who led arguments against the Borrowdale Close proposal during last week’s development committee meeting.
“It would literally change the nature of that area.
“In the public interest, it is not appropriate to assess it as a private house,” he said.
The proposed building looked like a function centre, Cr Guile said, and the development application said there would be occasional family gatherings for up to 80 people at a time but because it was a private house there was no way of looking at issues including noise, parking and traffic.
However, Terry Savill from Realize Architecture, which submitted the proposal on behalf of a Sydney-based Italian family, said the it was truly for a family home.
“My client isn’t interested in running any sort of resort,” Mr Savill said.
“It’s just a place for relaxation, and as he is head of an extended family there might be large family gatherings at the property once or twice a year.”
An initial application to extend an existing home on the property, creating a massive building more than double the size of an average urban residential block, was rejected by council in December last year despite staff recommending it be approved.
Crs Guile and Gareth Ward pushed for the refusal, claiming the bulk and scale of the proposed development was excessive and inappropriate in the context of the domestic scale of surrounding development; the excessive scale of the proposal was out of character with existing development and inconsistent with the objective of preserving the landscape quality of the locality; the use of a building of such scale would lead to unacceptable amenity impacts on surrounding residents; the site was unsuitable for a development of the proposed scale and nature and the proposed development was contrary to the public interest.
However, Cr Ward had last week changed his tune on the development in Borrowdale Close, as applicant Realize Architecture called for a review of the decision after a new plan was submitted featuring additional landscaping, in an effort to reduce potential impacts on neighbouring properties, and a statement from a planner saying how those concerns were to be addressed.
Cr Ward said the proposal was on a large block of land and complied with all planning regulations.
Because it was a compliant application, council would probably lose if the matter was fought out in the Land and Environment Court, Cr Ward said, an assertion backed by the staff recommendation.
“Are you happy for us to spent $40,000 of ratepayers’ money fighting this when staff are telling us we will lose if the applicant appeals a refusal?” Cr Ward asked.