Panel gives Marr St project green light

March 13, 2015, 8:43 p.m.

A seven-storey apartment building labelled a monstrosity by nearby residents has been given the go-ahead by an independent Wollongong City Council panel.

A seven-storey apartment building labelled a monstrosity by nearby residents has been given the go-ahead by an independent Wollongong City Council panel.

The Marr Street block, known as Marquee, was reviewed by the Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel on Wednesday.

Panel members voted unanimously to recommend the building be approved, subject to a slight variation to some of the balcony windows and the building's waste bin provisions.

At the hearing, four residents spoke against the approval, summarising the concerns of 50 people who had lodged objections.

They said the current on-street parking situation was problematic and would be exacerbated by the development, and raised concerns about safety of extra traffic and construction works.

They also said the scale of the development was too large for the narrow street, and they were worried houses to the south of the building would lose too much sunlight due to overshadowing.

Architect Angelo Di Martino also addressed the panel, saying the building aligned with council plans to achieve higher density housing close to the city centre.

He said the development complied with height restrictions and setback rules, and said the car park provisions were fully compliant with the council's development controls. Panel members recognised the residents' concerns about traffic and parking, but said the application had complied with all requirements.

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Panel gives Marr St project green light