By Catherine Watson
THE developer of a proposed 900-lot subdivision on the outskirts of Cape Paterson has gone back to the drawing board in the wake of strong opposition from Cape residents.
THE developer of a proposed 900-lot subdivision on the outskirts of Cape Paterson has gone back to the drawing board in the wake of strong opposition from Cape residents.
The project was to have been presented to last Wednesday’s council meeting for a decision on whether to proceed to a planning scheme amendment, but has been deferred to enable the developer to amend the proposal.
The Cape Paterson Ratepayers and Residents Association has opposed the plan as a massive over-development, saying there are some 200 unsold lots available in the Cape ecovillage and another 40 vacant lots in the township itself.
The 97-hectare site is north of the existing residential area of Cape Paterson, bordered by Seaward Drive and Cape Paterson Road.
While it is currently zoned farmland, it is within the township boundary. The application site was first identified for residential growth of Cape Paterson through the Bass Coast Strategic Coastal Planning Framework in 2005.
The proposal has created a groundswell of opposition, based mainly on its size and the number of lots. The proposed development would almost double the size of the current township.
In response to concerns raised by the community, the developer, Wallis Watson, has formally offered to amend the proposed planning scheme amendment to reduce the scale of the rezoning of land.
The original plan included about 900 new residential lots, eight hectares of parks and 12 hectares of open space for drainage and vegetation protection.
It also proposed development contributions of $1.1 million for the local bay beach activity area, $600,000 for paths to the township and foreshore, and $16 million of infrastructure works within the site and to Cape Paterson Road and Seaward Drive.
The Cape Paterson Ratepayers and Residents Association has opposed the plan as a massive over-development, saying there are some 200 unsold lots available in the Cape ecovillage and another 40 vacant lots in the township itself.
The 97-hectare site is north of the existing residential area of Cape Paterson, bordered by Seaward Drive and Cape Paterson Road.
While it is currently zoned farmland, it is within the township boundary. The application site was first identified for residential growth of Cape Paterson through the Bass Coast Strategic Coastal Planning Framework in 2005.
The proposal has created a groundswell of opposition, based mainly on its size and the number of lots. The proposed development would almost double the size of the current township.
In response to concerns raised by the community, the developer, Wallis Watson, has formally offered to amend the proposed planning scheme amendment to reduce the scale of the rezoning of land.
The original plan included about 900 new residential lots, eight hectares of parks and 12 hectares of open space for drainage and vegetation protection.
It also proposed development contributions of $1.1 million for the local bay beach activity area, $600,000 for paths to the township and foreshore, and $16 million of infrastructure works within the site and to Cape Paterson Road and Seaward Drive.