The Sunshine Coast community is being invited to have its say about a proposed 18-storey coastal tower, which would rise almost 23m above the building height limit.
Habitat Development Group is seeking approval from the Sunshine Coast Council for the 62.97m 180-apartment Rivienne project at 132 and 134-136 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore.
The site, which also fronts First Avenue and Fairway Drive, currently houses the Salvation Army and Neighbours Aid op shops and adjoins the Maroochydore Priority Development Area.
Under the current Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme, the development should not exceed a maximum height of 40m.
Public submissions opened on July 20 and close on August 10 for the development, which would include a mix of one to four-bedroom apartments, five ground-floor commercial tenancies and 372 car spaces.
The complex would also include communal recreation facilities including a pool, lounge, dining and bar areas, sauna, steam room and plunge pools.
The application was first lodged with Sunshine Coast Council late last year.
Council subsequently issued an information request in February, raising concerns about the proposed height and seeking more detail on potential impacts including views, privacy and overshadowing, as well as the building’s design, access, parking and landscaping.
It said the application had “not sufficiently demonstrated” how the height was consistent with the “reasonable expectations of the community” and asked the developer to provide further evidence supporting the additional 22.97m height.
The council also requested visual and shadow studies comparing the tower with a development that complied with the current 40m limit.
Adams and Sparkes Town Planning submitted the response on behalf of Habitat Development Group on July 15, together with amended architectural plans and supporting reports.
The response argued the public notification process would give residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed height.
“The proposed development is required to be publicly notified for 15 business days, giving the community the opportunity to make submissions on the proposed building height,” it stated.
The developer also pointed to the draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme, which identifies the site for buildings of up to 18 storeys and 60m, with additional allowances for a complying rooftop garden. Council has not identified when the new scheme could come into play, meaning the application must be assessed under the current 40m height limit.
The amended plans describe the building as 61.9m to the top of the building and 63.4m to the top of the lift overrun, arguing it would comply with the draft scheme’s height provisions.
The planning response also stated the site’s position beside the Maroochydore Priority Development Area city centre environment meant taller buildings were anticipated in the area.
“The land is strategically suited to increased housing supply,” it said.
“Overall, the development is in line with the type of built forms anticipated to occur in a vibrant city environment.”
The developer’s response said “significant changes” had been made to bring the design more closely into line with the draft scheme.
Those changes include moving an electrical substation away from the Aerodrome Road frontage and into the building, increasing landscaping at the north-eastern entrance and identifying an area for public art.
The ground level has also been lowered, a new accessible ramp has been added along Aerodrome Road and the tower setback from the future road boundary has been increased to at least 6m to the building walls.
The revised plans also account for a strip of land along Aerodrome Road, which could be required for future road widening associated with the future transport corridor.
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The site also has an existing approval for a 12-storey, 45m mixed-use development containing 104 units.
Council originally approved the project for a previous applicant in August 2023, before two Planning and Environment Court appeals were lodged over conditions relating to access from Aerodrome Road.
Submissions on the new application can be lodged electronically with Sunshine Coast Council at mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or sent to Locked Bag 72, Sunshine Coast Mail Centre, Queensland, 4560.
