By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A 10-metre high warehouse backing on to homes in Festival Drive, Keysborough has been approved despite a chorus of 41 objections.
The proposed solar-panel storage facility at 28 Cambria Road Keysborough, is within the border of an established industrial estate that abuts the residential neighbourhood.
A Greater Dandenong Council report recommended the proposal due to being “highly compliant” with its planning scheme.
In opposition, Cr Tim Dark told a 27 February council meeting that residents had long endured “a lot of issues” from Cambria Road’s mix of materials recycling, automotive dismantling and heavy industrial uses.
They had “significant concerns” about the warehouse’s height, overshadowing, overbearingness and nature of construction.
“Very rarely does this council face 41 people against it.”
Cr Dark said the warehouse was not in keeping with the low-lying, single-storey buildings on the west side of Cambria Road, nearest to houses.
The 2.7 metre acoustic fence between the site and residents’ back yards was “one of the ugliest things that you can have”.
Also, the site was “in the bottom of a dip” and prone to flooding in major rain events, he said.
Cr Rhonda Garad said “the people have spoken” about the “substantial” and “significant” impacts.
“And I think we should pay attention to them.”
A majority of councillors supported the development, including Cr Sean O’Reilly who said he heeded the “substance” of the objections, rather than their quantity.
“As fair and objective decision makers, we should be going on the substance of the objections on planning grounds.
“We haven’t seen any planning reasons to refuse this application whilst in the (council) report we have all the planning reasons to approve the application.”
The council report noted the warehouse was “only one metre” higher than the nine-metre height limit in the residential zone.
It was also designed to ‘step down’ to a height of six metres at the residential boundary.
Cr O’Reilly said “consequences” were likely to stem from a VCAT appeal if the council refused a permit.
“If it goes to VCAT it will be another large cheque to lawyers who represent the council, and also (permit) conditions being removed making the outcome worse for residents.”
