By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
LOCAL ward councillors didn’t stand in the way of a five-storey apartment complex next to Dandenong’s central parkland.
At last Monday’s council meeting, the 15-apartment development at 63 Pultney Street was approved by councillors, the only exception being Cr Yvonne Herring, who said the “monstrosity” was “nothing to be sneezed at”.
Council officers had recommended the approval, but requested a host of design modifications — a list that was three pages long.
“We have 30 items that don’t comply with [the Greater Dandenong] planning scheme,” Cr Herring said. “Pultney Street is a lovely street with lovely old homes that are close to the park. It’s a disgrace.”
Of the Red Gum Ward councillors, Jim Memeti could not vote because he’s a director of a company that owns the site.
Cr Paul Donovan, who is not recontesting his seat, voted for the proposal. The third councillor Angela Long, who had requested council officers draw up an alternative motion to oppose the apartments a week earlier, left the chamber on a “toilet break” during the vote.
“I said to the officers if they could draw [an alternative motion] up it could have been handy,” Cr Long told the Weekly.
“Later, I decided not to use it and let it go through. Even if the council had knocked it back, [the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal] would have approved it.”
Silverleaf Ward incumbent John Kelly was unable to vote because of a “disclosure of interest” that he lived close to the proposed site. Opposed to four-to-five-storey developments in the area, he described Cr Long’s dodge as a “low act”.
The vote came amid neighbours’ angst about a proposed three-storey apartment block in McPherson Street. It, with the Pultney Street site, is part of Dandenong’s residential 2 zone.
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