Hans Lovejoy
A proposal to rezone a heritage listed Bangalow home for commercial use has residents concerned.
Ian Holmes from the Bangalow Progress Association says his group will be objecting to the DA for 68 Byron Street.
The proposal by Sydney-based owner, Nathan Keevers, is estimated at $1,179,100 and comes with major changes to the original building, which would be used as offices/shops.
Predictably, the applicant’s DA states the proposal is acceptable.
The proposal includes adding another dwelling to the block and adding an extension to the rear of the existing building.
Both buildings would reduce the garden area considerably.
Mr Holmes told The Echo he is concerned about these changes and also the proposed usage for commercial activities.
He said, ‘The LEP (local environment plan) is clear in its zoning and it prohibits commercial use in this zone’.
‘The LEP also protects various heritage aspects, as does the DCP (Development Control Plan), the Bangalow Village Plan and other Byron Strategic Plans’.
Mr Holmes says, given the home is heritage listed with a garden and fence, it ‘gives it a strong reason for refusal’.
‘It’s one of the grand old houses of Bangalow’.
Lack of specifics
Mr Holmes says that Council have, in the past, been supportive of protecting heritage values, and hopes that the same determination will be applied to this development.
Mr Holmes added there is a lack of specifics around what type of commercial activity would operate from the property.
Submissions for DA 10.2020.370.1 are now open and can be made in writing, PO Box 219, Mullumbimby NSW 2482 or email [email protected].
With so much dead ugly utilitarian architecture mushrooming over the shire it would be a tragedy if houses like this were compromised?
BTW, can anyone enlighten me about the ‘make-over’ that seems to be taking place to the shops opposite Aldi that run to and match the facade of the cafe on the Johnson St corner? Can’t we preserve some of the CBD history?
Hope it’s not going to be GoldCoastified!
Developers seem to think that zoning doesn’t apply to them. They don’t live in the areas whiere they want to make big bucks and to hell with how locals feel.
Perhaps Mr Holmes or others should stump up the money and offer to buy it if they are that upset about it, as for the fence and garden.??? The owner lives in Sydney so I’ll assume this is rented ,renters aren’t usually to keen on gardening and I know that for a fact. Extension on the back – who’s going to see it and what’s to say it won’t be done in the same style and complement the building, you could still keep the front facade and nobody would know the difference. As for another building on the block if there’s enough room for it then so what it may well compliment the existing building. Offices/shops – more inclined to think professional offices think solicitors, dentists, doctors (more employment for people) or is it really just a case of not in my backyard?
Greg, I don’t know that too many people concerned about heritage preservation can afford to buy up every specimen in contention. It surely doesn’t mean that they should be denied their views nor their capacity to raise an alert.
Heritage is also about more than preserving a facade and ignoring consideration of surrounds.
It might be wise to consider why rezoning is needed as I’m under the impression that residential zoning allows some specific business uses.
Shouldn’t heritage listing be up to the owner and not joe blogs who doesn’t own it yet can dictate what you can and can’t do even internally no what it might cost you just because of the listing?
As a former local, now living near Brisbane, it saddens me to see this happening in such a unique place.
The same thing is happening here, the “before and after” photos in the newspaper of similar homes is just mind blowing, and not in a good way, they end up all looking the same. If you want a modern monstrosity, build one!
History means nothing to some people.
Greg, what you suggest is a very haphazard way of preserving heritage. I’d suggest the approach might be that if a prospective buyer is deterred by a heritage listing then don’t buy it.
It really all depends on how much you value heritage, town planning, aesthetics and preserving our past.
Bangalow is characterised by its historic buildings – this is an integral part of its appeal to locals and visitors. Don’t turn it into Byron Bay.