Council shelves 'ugly' units plan
TWO proposals for duplex and townhouse blocks in Rose City are being given the red light by the council this week.
Several controversial development proposals have been met with many objections from the public, with the main one being a unit complex for Hawker Rd.
Southern Downs Regional Council staff were set to refuse the development of eight duplexes on the property at 51-53 Hawker Rd yesterday but the applicant now plans to amend the proposal.
The decision to go back to the drawing board came after the council received nine objections from the public about building 16 units on the one block.
A report by council planning officers stated the public outcry as one of the reasons behind the recommendation to refuse the development.
"A number of submissions were received which contained reasonable grounds that warrant refusal of this application," it read.
The concerns ranged from increased noise levels caused by high-density living arrangements, the buildings being out of character with the surrounding homes and issues with traffic.
Council planning officers had similar views to the residents, the report suggested.
"The proposed development does not integrate with the existing neighbourhood," the report stated.
"The designs of the buildings are very plain, with no architectural treatments and little variations."
Planning officers were also concerned the lack of a body corporate could potentially result in maintenance issues within the development.
A decision will not be made until next week's general council meeting.
The Hawker Rd complex was not the only one put before council yesterday.
An application for three two-storey townhouses on Pratten St has also been deferred to next week's general meeting.
Each unit would contain three bedrooms, two bathrooms including an ensuite, and a double garage.
The plans comply with the planning scheme, but councillors expressed concerns over the amount of cutting and filling required to make the buildings level.
Several councillors were worried about the height of the buildings as well.
