FOUR boarding houses have passed muster on the second attempt after negotiations between Orange City Council and the developer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Councillors approved the development application (DA), which will contain 22 self-contained double boarding rooms intended for professional tenants for a minimum stay of three months.
The report to councillors revealed fresh plans for a gabled roof, more in keeping with the rest of the heritage conservation area in McLachlan Street.
Developer Greg Kings addressed the meeting, saying the heritage adviser had raised more concerns since the previous meeting, and pointed out the DA was recommended for approval.
“We’ve made a number of concessions,” he said.
“Now something else has come back – it needs to be balanced.”
Councillor Russell Turner moved the approval, except for one condition demanding cladding be horizontal.
“He’s not only agreed to change the roof from a skillion to a gable, but to a Dutch gable,” he said, adding vertical cladding was a reasonable concession to make.
Asked by councillors what difference the condition would make, development services director David Waddell said the move was contrary to the heritage adviser's recommendations.
“But at this late stage, I think it’s council’s call on this one – the roof has changed significantly,” he said.
With the state government currently exhibiting changes to boarding house requirements to include more parking, Mr Waddell said it was not a concern.
“This supplies more than enough parking that even the proposed amendment wouldn’t affect,” he said.
Councillors Reg Kidd, Jeff Whitton, Glenn Taylor and Stephen Nugent left the chamber because OCTEC chief Andrew McDougall was an objector and all four were connected to the service.
With councillor Tony Mileto absent, the seven remaining passed the DA.