A FOUR-STOREY apartment block in Thomastown has been rejected despite Whittlesea councillors recognising the need for diverse housing developments in the municipality.
Residents packed the council chambers last week and held protest signs claiming the proposal was an over-development in an area of mostly single-storey houses.
Healthville Investments proposed a four-storey block with 48 one- and two-bedroom apartments, a ground-floor cafe and underground car park on the corner of High and Westall streets.
Cr Stevan Kozmevski rejected the recommendation and said it was a high-density development out of character with surrounding houses.
He said the development did not meet the minimum number of car spaces required and was an over-development of the site.
He moved the proposal be refused, but Cr Kris Pavlidis unsuccessfully tried to move an amendment to approve the development, provided it was reduced from four storeys to three.
Cr Pavlidis said Whittlesea was growing at the rate of 200 new residents a week. “We’re growing so rapidly, I don’t think we have a choice (but to approve such developments)”.
Cr Sam Alessi said the municipality needed diversity in its housing options and the proposal would be the first of many high-density housing plans necessary to attract people to the area. Cr Norm Kelly said he liked the design, but the block was too big and neighbours were unlikely to be “happy looking at a four-storey building”.
