Perth Voice Interactive

A divided development assessment panel has approved a six-storey project on Brewer Street, tossing aside the usual three-storey plus loft height limit for the area.

The elected members on the DAP—Vincent councillors Dudley Maier and Josh Topelberg—voted against the plan but the two state-appointed members Megan Bartle and Clayton Higham gave the 37-unit Danny Psaros project the thumbs up.

Ms Bartle, a senior development manager at Woodsome and previously a Subiaco council planner) used her casting vote as chair to approve the plan.

At five storeys plus a loft (with bathrooms making the loft look a lot like an extra floor) it’s almost twice the usual height usually allowed.

The council’s design advisory committee had recommended one extra storey for “design excellence”. Then the developer was allowed another storey because they were keeping part of the frontage of the old building, meaning they couldn’t dig out a basement carpark.

Crs Maier and Topelberg wanted something more in line with the policy and supported Vincent staff recommendations to reject it.

“I can’t support a six-storey building there,” Cr Topelberg said. “It’s well outside what the city has slated for the area.”

But Mr Higham, a local government executive, said he didn’t have a problem with it. It was noted the locals weren’t complaining about height, and “it’s going to be near the NIB stadium which is going to be a monster anyway”.

Ms Bartle said the applicant had kept the old facade and given up a basement, so there had to be some “quid pro quo” to encourage that kind of thing.

by DAVID BELL