Two multi-storey mixed-use developments with a combined value of $36.2 million have been approved for the centre of Byron Bay, despite both exceeding height limits for that part of the Shire.
The developments, located at 9 Marvell Street and 119-121 Jonson Street respectively, involve a mix of retail, commercial and residential uses, along with the now obligatory private rooftop swimming pool.
Both also feature large underground parking areas.
Greens councillor Duncan Dey was a lone voice of dissent in relation to the developments when they came before last week’s Council planning meeting.
‘These things are designed to fill the allotment right up to its boundaries,’ Cr Dey said in relation to the Marvell Street development.
‘Essentially, the whole thing is overkill. The developer spends tens or hundreds of thousands figuring out how to fill every drop of space that is deemed to be available.
‘At my place, the roof is to keep the rain out. But in these places, the roof becomes a party area. I don’t get it. It’s basically an extra storey.’
But Cr Dey’s arguments appeared to fall on deaf ears, at least as far as his fellow councillors were concerned.
Two-person design excellence panel
Mayor Michael Lyon said that both developments had been before Council’s two-person design excellence panel, and that significant changes had been made to ensure they not only fitted in with, but enhanced, the character of the town.
Given no information is available around the design excellence panel, Cr Dey asked who was on it.
Staff replied it was head of planning and compliance, Shannon Burt, and architect and urban designer, Rod Simpson.
Embrace the height
‘I think the future for Byron is always going to be bright in terms of the town centre… and people are going to want to develop there,’ Cr Lyon said in relation to the Marvell Street development.
‘We’re gonna see more of this, and we have to embrace it. We’ve got an 11.5-metre height limit… and that compares favourably in height to everywhere up and down the coast. You won’t find somewhere that’s only 11.5m… We’ve done a fantastic job of maintaining the character of our town.’
Earlier in the meeting, one of the planners involved in the Marvell Street development said they had amended the height of the building in response to concern about exceedances.
‘At the Council site inspection last week, concerns were raised in relation to the number and nature of exceedances in relation to the 11.5m height limit,’ Kate Singleton of Planners North said in relation to the development.
‘While we submit that the variation sought to the height limit is appropriate… we have undertaken a further detailed review of the design which has identified the potential for a reduction in the height of the building’.
Ms Singleton said that the revised plans included 13 per cent of the site containing elements that exceeded the height limit, and that those elements were not visible from the street.
Sensitive design
The developer behind the Jonson Street project, Jason Dunn, said the location was ‘an important site that we’ve tried to honour with our sensitive design’.
‘We designed a very large open courtyard and we’ve focused on designing the building around the large melaleuca tree.
‘Forty-two per cent of the total ground floor area is open space.
‘I believe that the Byron town centre desperately needs some high-quality, vibrant developments to improve the streetscape of our town… and I believe this development achieves that aim.’
what an outrage! we should not be approving any more development in byron at all! its already having a major impact on the wildlife there, I have seen a massive decrease in bird life in byron over many years now. I used to see all kinds of birds in byron but now I hardly see any. These higher buildings will have an impact on the bird flight paths, has this been considered ?
The current Council is a joke … what happened to Byron being special, not going down the same road… that over-developed road.
Shame on those who voted for this!
Everywhere in our beautiful country the environment & height limits are being undermined by developers & their financial superiority. Take a look at Cudgen’s State Significant Farmland for example. Councils cannot afford court cases & residents’ opinions are overlooked.
Unfortunately until we get a state government that’s prime concern is the environment and climate change then bugger all going to happen and developers are going to have carte blanche to do as they please like they do now the problem is at all levels of government and we need a indigenous prime Minister and state premiere to stop it ad they are the only people who care for the environment. Furthermore there should be a quota of arakal people on council to decide development issues like they should be half of the councilors. In addition it’s one thing to pay lip service to indigenous peoples by using indigenous names for Byron Julian rocks and so forth but it’s only lip service if your not stopping the destruction of the land the arakal people own and live on .
Ridiculous these creeping height limits !
We fought for years to get a town planner and a town plan . To keep Byron bay unique ! We have a restriction in the plan as to height limits . For goodness sake stick to them ! That is very reason for a Town Plan ! Nick Towers ex Byron Bay Real Estate Agent . Resident for 56 years .
If we had a strong council and backed up by a decent NSW Government we would not be in this situation !
WHEN was the last time one of the MEGA developments was knocked back ! The developers are circling this down like a shark feeding frenzy , they smell blood , ( or a useless council ) and state GOV!!! … NONE of these developments are for locals , they are for the mega rich yuppies which flood this town in expensive SUV’S.
WE NEED a pause on any further development until the stormwater infrustructure has been replaced or upgraded !!! ALL these developments have deep underground car parks that will flood . Look at what is being built next to woolies , they have been pumping out stormwater or underground water into the street the last 3 months . My local beach is unusable the last 4 months , Belongil north of Elements , the Estuary is pumping out brown foam , even after no rain for 8 days !! West Byron ? or all the shit from town ???
The millionaires are now pissed off because the Billionaires have arrived . RIP BYRON!! you were your true self in the 80’s and 90’s .
IT HAS NOW BEEN DESTROYED BY GREED AND IDIOTS !!!!!!!!! HOW the F did we get to this point ??????
We need to vote out majority of the current councillors and the Mayor. Bring on the election. It can’t come fast enough.
Where’s Fast Buck$ ??!!!
Fast Bucks has been burned by the Greens Cr Ndaie (who is restanding for Mayor and Councillor), who got the Court to place an Aprehended Violence Order on him which prohibeted him from going to the Council and Meetings because he allegedly said he was going to ‘get her’, despite he is a pacifist and it apears it was a proposal to ‘get her’ politically rather than physically. Weve lost the input of one of the Shires best investigative anti Council corruption watchdogs in exchange for an obediant Councillor to Council, and a loss of Bucks investigative and pro active action to address the deficiancies of this Council
Bottom line Byron bay was pretty much a tea tree swamp very low lying so of course it’s going to flood everyone it rains pretty crazy stuff nature will win reclaim what it wants you can’t beat nature and increasing heights on projects only put more shadow and creates wind tunnels.
‘These things are designed to fill the allotment right up to its boundaries,’ Cr Dey said in relation to the Marvell Street development.
‘Essentially, the whole thing is overkill. The developer spends tens or hundreds of thousands figuring out how to fill every drop of space that is deemed to be available. ”
(further down)
“‘We designed a very large open courtyard and we’ve focused on designing the building around the large melaleuca tree.
‘Forty-two per cent of the total ground floor area is open space.”
OK , who is correct?
Jimie that is just developer spin talk , they are good at that , take a look at what is being built in the industrial estate next to simmo’s Banksia drive , they have used up the whole space , they removed the back fence near the nature reserve and have put ugly concrete covering the whole block except 10cm barrier around the edges , look how close it is to simmos’ building almost touching ,
These developers are good at selling ice to eskimo’s , but no so good in designing buildings that actually fit within the character of this town .
As with the above statement you will probably find that the courtyard is within the actual building lot .
As a kid growing up in western Sydney , I was lucky to have a 1/4 acre block , plenty of room to play and get outside , now these days all the new houses take up every sq cm of land , and they wonder why the neighbourhoods get so hot in summer ( no trees ) go figure .
Although that may not necessarily apply to Byron , if you look at all the large developments in town they are UGLY and do use up all the land .
It all started with Mercarto , and what a great success that has been hey ?