By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong Council has dimmed the lights on two proposed signs at a temple in Keysborough’s green wedge.
The 28-square-metre internally-illuminated signs were proposed at the entry and exit points of the Gurudwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib temple at 198-206 Perry Road.
The temple’s 2-hectare site – which currently has little signage – neighbours Mt Hira College, a horse stud and pastoral properties.
Two neighbours objected to the Sikh group’s archway-shaped signs, which featured ‘Gurudwara Sahib Keysborough’ in blue and red writing on a yellow background.
At a meeting on 22 June, Greater Dandenong councillors approved scaled-down 15-square-metre versions without lighting.
City planning director Jody Bosman said the original excessive size and illumination was not appropriate for the Green Wedge A zone.
The council’s recommended modifications would help protect the area’s amenity, he said.
According to the applicants, the signs required lighting because the temple opens on Thursday evenings as well as special days of celebration.
However, the council’s Green Wedge policy states signage should be minimized particularly with “internally illuminated signs”.
Where possible, signage should be consolidated into one sign and should be placed on buildings, the policy states.
“It is considered appropriate to permit the erection of two signs, provided the signs are of an appropriate size to ensure they are ‘low scale and low impact’,” a council report on the application stated.
“Business identification signage is appropriate, however the size and illumination of the sign would be visually dominant and not respect the sensitive nature of the green wedge.”
The temple building was found to be set back too far from Perry Road to be a visible site for the signage.
