Holding Fort at Bay Road

Locals oppose Bay Rd apartments

By Jon Andrews - Bayside Leader 

Sandringham residents are unhappy about a three-storey, 10-apartment block. 

SANDRINGHAM residents have railed against a triple-storey planning application that will be fought at VCAT.
A development proposal to build 10 apartments on a 700sq m Bay Rd and Gladstone St corner block has outraged locals.
The application is going to the state’s top planning tribunal because Bayside Council did not make a decision in time. 
Neighbour Robert Taylor said objectors’ group Residents Against Inappropriate Development would attend the VCAT hearing.
He said 59 objectors thought the proposal was too big, would ruin the streetscape, dominate a relatively quiet sidestreet and cause traffic chaos.
‘‘There are no other buildings like this in the immediate area and this could change the whole neighbourhood,’’ Mr Taylor said.

‘‘It will impose a huge tower, overshadow, create visual bulk, noise and entry problems as most of it faces on to the quiet Gladstone St.’’

Bayside city strategy director Shiran Wickramasinghe said the application wasn’t processed in time because of its complexity.

He said the council would object at the hearing because the project was considered too large and had insufficient car parking.

A hearing date has not yet been set, but is likely to be next year.

Applicant architect John Douglas said accommodation demands were changing.

‘‘We believe we have designed a building that works well and makes a contribution,’’ he said.