PlanningAlerts

5 Comments

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1. Dear Sirs

   I am just writing to express severe concern about a planned development at 7 Izatt Close, Edge Hill.

   As I understand it, there is a plan to put a large four storey development with 22 apartments in this very small close.

   This development seems completely inappropriate for the location. My in-laws are in their mid 80s and moved to 5 Izatt Close as a quiet place to enjoy peaceful retirement. It is a short, tranquil sleepy street, backing on to the Centenary Lakes, inhabited by other retired people.

   The last thing anyone would want is a giant apartment block right on their doorstep.

   There is already no parking available on this curved part of the close. While the developers claim to be putting in some ground floor parking, as you know, in reality most residents and visitors will just try to park in the street, resulting in chaos. Once it is finished, the whole ambience of the Izatt Close will be destroyed by continual vehicles attempting to get in and out.

   The constant noise and heavy traffic to the site for years during construction in this small close will likely be unbearable.

   Essentially this street is just too small for such a large development.

   Would you like your grandparents to have to live next door to this?

   Thanks you for your consideration and please don't let this development proceed.

   Dominic Chaplin

   p.s. There is still heaps of empty cane land south of Edmonton to put up apartments.

2. To whom it may concern

   Whilst I appreciate that concentrated housing is required in the Cairns region, the application to put 22 flats in Izatt Close is grossly inappropriate. There are hundreds of development sites in the Cairns region where dense housing can be accommodated instead of a small close in Edge Hill.

   This is an exclusive sleepy village and a highly desirable investment for residents, not a solution for high density housing. The road is already cluttered with on street parking, making it very difficult to gain access to my parents house.

   The artists impression leaves a lot to be desired. Then again I don't think I have seen a single housing development in my 28 years in Cairns that I have found attractive. Developers seem stuck in the 70's with no thought to recreational space or green star ratings. This will be another boiling hot concrete block construction bereft of trees and wildlife.

   I strongly object to this application in its current form.

3. Currently, the view from our house is a rather attractive stand of trees, perhaps they could remain ?
   20 or so more vehicles using the Close would be intolerable from noise and pollution, pus collision danger. Most of us reverse out of our drives.
   If I am to spend my last years looking out at this supremely ugly building, with it's detriment to the value of my property, will there be any reduction to my rates?
   yours sincerely
   Tony Tanner

4. I have resided at one of these properties and the proposal of a multi-story apartment complex is extremely unsuitable for this location, in-part due to the following:

   Flooding and storm-water management is a major concern as the blocks already have massive issues with flooding, and there is already a lack of capacity for the area to cope with heavy rains. Due to the proposed blocks being already completely surrounded by developments (dwellings on both sides as well as the back, with the street to the front), any heavy rains turn the proposed building site into a flooded lake. Both the backyards and front yards become inundated with water which remains for days, and the street drainage overflows. Without significant investment and upgrades to the storm-water management of the area and the properties surrounding, building a structure like that proposed would cause rains to completely overwhelm the area as there is nowhere for flood water to go.

   The small size of the two properties does not allow for large developments; a very small 3-bedroom single story house already takes up a significant proportion of the block (over 50%). Considering the current zoning requirements of the dwelling (coverage of less than 50%), is re-zoning required? A building of this scale would not fit without overwhelming the site and all neighboring properties. How can the proposed four-story development which would tower directly over neighboring properties within an arms reach, where houses are extremely close-by and back directly to the property, achieve separation from neighboring buildings and frontages (a requirement of current zoning)?

   A development of this scale would vastly impact the character and amenity of the area. There are no other developments of this scale on the street or visible surrounding area. The character value of Edge Hill cannot be replaced once it's gone, and we're loosing more and more of it with developments like this. The proposal does not keep with the amenity of adjoining premises, which although just skimming under the 15 m height limit, there are no structures larger than individual dwellings two stories high in the area.
   
   The blocks are located at the end of a small, quiet close. This development would adversely affect the residential character and amenity of the area drastically, including in terms of traffic, noise, lighting and other physical and environmental impacts. This goes against current zoning. The street does not have the capacity for an additional 22-occupant usage, there simply isn't enough space for that many people and vehicles without heavily infringing on every dwelling and family on the street.

5. This application DOESN'T COMPLY with the "CODE ASSESSMENT" requirements in many ways. The only way this application can be accepted is via severe dispensation granted by the Cairns Regional Council.
   Under Code Assessment, NOBODY has "right of appeal", that includes you. This is how the State legislation is written and the Council has all the power.
   However, if the proposal doesn't comply with the code then it should not be accepted or at least Right of Appeal should be reinstated.
   The State legislation as it is written needs to be reviewed as it gives corrupt or complacent councils and developers a free reign with no policing as we have seen happen in other parts of the state (Gold Coast included).
   Don't be misled, this proposal is not a high quality development.
   The Queensland Government state they will not intervene in the operations of a local authority even though it is state legislation in vouge. This raises the question of WHO is policing the council to confirm the legislation is implemented righteously?

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