By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A 66-townhouse development proposed for a greenfield site in Keysborough has been given the all-clear by the state’s planning tribunal.
In his ruling on 29 May, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Michael Nelthorpe overturned Greater Dandenong Council’s refusal of the application for 258 Hutton Road.
Developer Eastar Group scaled-down its proposal from 74 dwellings, reducing the number of dwelling bedrooms and introducing a small pocket park and more landscaped space on the 3.4-hectare site.
The council remained opposed to the revised proposal, due to overdevelopment, neighbourhood character and urban design concerns.
It opposed the “sub standard” narrow street widths, with little space for street trees or on-site parking.
The council argued against the streetscapes being dominated by garage doors, the small private yards and a “futile” pocket park.
Mr Nelthorpe said none of these points were grounds for refusal.
The proposed density was in accord with the Keysborough South Development Plan, despite not offering a mix of conventional and medium-density lots.
“I disagree (that it is an overdevelopment) because it broadly implements the Development Plan’s principles when viewed in the context of the entire area.”
The plan also provides for a network of habitat corridors and wetlands and improved flood storage capacity.
Mr Nelthorpe noted more than 38 per cent of the site was set aside for public open space as part of a linear open space network.
Another 8.5 per cent was set aside for a tree reserve along Hutton Road.
Neighbourhood character was not relevant due to the site being vacant.
Mr Nelthorpe was concerned that the development “turns its back” on the linear open-space reserve.
“I have required the townhouses adjacent to the reserve to be redesigned in a reverse living format to better address the reserve.”
He ordered extra parking spaces at the pocket park.
