On a vote of 6 to 3, council last night refused the planning application for McDonald’s on the following grounds:
That Council issue a Notice of Refusal to Grant a Planning Permit for Use and development of the land for a convenience restaurant with associated landscaping, carparking, advertising signs and alteration of access to a Category 1 Road at 1563 Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield due to the following grounds:
1. The proposed use does not satisfy any of the purposes of the Residential 3 Zone and is inappropriate for the chosen site.
2. Traffic management arrangements are unacceptable and would have an adverse impact on existing traffic movements and on surrounding uses.
3. The proposed use and development would cause unreasonable adverse amenity impacts to surrounding residential uses, is an overdevelopment, and the landscaping design and package of advertising signs are inappropriate and unacceptable.
Cr Andrew Walter passionately moved the motion stating this application would create a dangerous intersection at Kathryn and Ferntree Gully Roads. He also stated that it would be dangerous for the youth that use the skate park, would create overspill of parking at Knoxfield shops and impact badly on Kathryn Road.
The meeting threatened to develop into a stale mate with Cr Gill initially moving an amendment that would have permitted the McDonald’s application. The fourteen page legalistic motion presented by Cr Gill took 40 minutes to read and was seconded by Cr Cole and supported by Cr Pearce. All other councilors opposed the amendment, and then the original motion to refuse the application was put and won. Besides Cr Walter’s passionate argument, intelligent reasoned and supportive comments were also made by Crs Cooper, Van der Vreede and Mortimer.
Now if it goes to VCAT residents need to reply to VCAT’s correspondence and attend the hearing in large numbers to have an impact on their decision.
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