Plans for a major retirement village in Torquay have suffered a planning blow with council blocking the sale of public land including a lane and reserve that are central to the development.
The $50 million project on a greenfield site on the Surf Coast Highway that would include hundreds of residences has been divisive in the community for its scale and density, but was recently given planning approval by the Surf Coast Shire.
That decision in August was only achieved after a 4-4 voting deadlock was broken by mayor Liz Pattison making a second vote to get it over the line.
“I know that there will be some in the community that’ll be personally disappointed by my decision to support this motion with my casting vote,” Cr Pattison said at the time.
The current proposal would include 120 detached single storey independent living units, three apartment buildings comprising 16 one-bedroom apartments and 60 two-bedroom apartments, and a central two and three storey clubhouse, along with an estimated 355 car parking spaces.
But at a Special Council Meeting last night (Tuesday, October 3) a motion for the sale of Cypress Lane and a portion of reserve No.3 to developers was lost.
“There has been high community interest about the development and also the land sale process” land sale opponent Cr Rose Hodge said.
“The decision to not approve the road discontinuance and sale of land was based on a desire to preserve public open space, acknowledging significant community concerns.”
Council noted that the submission period attracted 76 objections and four letters of support, and a petition with 782 signatures opposing the sale of public land.
“This is all part of the democratic process and as Councillors we will continue to work together in the interest of our communities,” Cr Hodge said.
“We expect the developer will need to rethink their design now that Council has decided that Cypress Lane and the public reserve is not for sale.”
Councillor backers of the sale and the earlier planning approval warned of potentially unintended consequences resulting from the land sale refusal, including that future planning oversight would be taken out of the Shire’s hands.
“This is in a new climate of the state government having gazetted last week the ability to take housing developments of $15 million and over out of the hands of local planners,” Cr Gary Allan said.
“They have declared a preference to solve the housing crisis by increasing densification and reducing VCAT red tape.”
Cr Hodge said she had no doubt the site would eventually be developed, but said she was uncomfortable with the sale of public land for the development.
“We have never sold open space like this, and I certainly don’t want my name as part of that precedent on this,” she said.
