Hundreds against Maleny Manor development
HUNDREDS of residents are petitioning against a proposed new high-end accommodation venture on the same site as the wedding venue, Maleny Manor. The owners of Maleny Manor lodged a development application with the Sunshine Coast Council last year to establish 38 short-term accommodation units designed to complement the wedding venue.
The application required a material change of use as the site is zoned rural. Maleny Views Motel manager, Suzanne Glover, whose business is located opposite the proposed site on Landsborough-Maleny Road, said the application should be refused or substantially scaled back, arguing that the property is, first and foremost, zoned rural.
In a submission to the council, Ms Glover argued that “the scale and intensity of the built form is incongruous with the character of the surrounding locality, particularly on the largely undeveloped northern side of Landsborough-Maleny Rd”.
“What is the point of town planning if you can just come in and change the zoning of a particular property to suit your purposes?” Ms Glover said. Ms Glover, the lead petitioner, said there were now 500 digital and print signatures against the proposal.
Among the matters raised by the petition is the claim that the development will “seriously impact the existing scenic amenity of the highly prominent tourist route”. However, Maleny Manor stated in its proposal that “despite being in the rural zone, most surrounding dwelling houses are located on smaller lot sizes more akin to rural residential or larger lot low-density residential development”.
“The site is ideally positioned to provide short term accommodation within close proximity to tourist attractions, wineries, retail shops, restaurants, and natural attractions. “The proposal is intended to cater for the current shortfall and increasing demand for accommodation in the hinterland on weekends, encouraging people to stay and explore the local area, promoting the Sunshine Coast hinterland as a destination,” the original proposal stated.
A visual impact assessment for the proposal found that the development would have limited visibility to surrounding areas and “not have an unacceptable impact upon the existing visual character, amenity, and sense of place of the streetscape, neighbourhood, and citywide contexts”.
In a submission on behalf of opponents, including the motel and Seafood Terrace Restaurant, it was argued that there would be a loss of views comprising rolling hills, a loss of mature vegetation near the site frontage, and dominant areas of hard-edge surfaces, including solid stone walls, pavement widening, and built form, which significantly obstructs views from our clients’ premises and the scenic route.
The application continues to be assessed by the council.
