A PROJECT for six residential tower blocks, on the drawing board for more than nine years, was given the green light for the second time in Redland City Council on Wednesday.
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Council approved the 271-unit Heran Property Group development despite the application expiring in October forcing an automatic refusal.
However, at Wednesday’s meeting, council extended the application for three years and allowed minor changes with only objections from councillors Paul Gleeson, Wendy Boglary and Lance Hewlett.
Heran wanted to alter approved plans drawn up by the previous owner, the embattled LM Investments which went into administration in April 2013.
It asked council in October if it could eliminate two roof gardens, cut back on patterned screens on the outside of the building and reduce the amount of open space.
By the time officers assessed the amendments, the approval period had lapsed and the application was automatically refused.
But conditions stipulated by council on Wednesday, mean the project can proceed but Heran must build a left-in, left-out driveway on to Mount Cotton Road, keep the roof gardens, and palm-shaped screens.
Mayor Karen Williams said including the conditions was a good outcome and the development was a “landmark” opportunity to show how medium-density housing could be delivered.
She said gardens on top of the towers would give the development an “edge” but warned those who purchased approved projects not to try to change council-approved conditions.
Capalaba councillor Paul Gleeson said Heran Group was forced back to the drawing board this year after a review of the approved plans failed to include the driveway on to Mount Cotton Road.
Cr Gleeson and residents of nearby Aramac Court campaigned for five years for the driveway to solve traffic congestion in nearby streets such as Holland Crescent.
“The Mount Cotton Road access was never signed off as part of the original application and it was only when the new developer sat down with council in October to apply for an extension that we found that out,” he said.
“It all had to be renegotiated with the Department of Main Roads and council officers before the last election, which held up the process which is why it ended up a deemed refusal.”
Residents from nearby streets of Aramac Court and Holland Crescent said they were happy with the driveway on to Mount Cotton Road.
But Capalaba resident Genevieve Gall said the approval set a precedent and did not comply with the Redland Planning Scheme’s measures for open space.
She said residents were also concerned the towers would overshadow adjacent townhouses. “The approved application provides only 7.5per cent of open space when the Planning scheme requires 20 per cent,” she said.
“Council said it could not refuse the Fiteni-Ormiston development because it met Redland Planning Scheme requirements but this application clearly does not.”
