Row erupts in council over building heights

KATINA CURTIS

A HEATED debate erupted at the last Kiama Council meeting over the height limit of residential developments, with some councillors saying the three-storey limit should be scrapped.

The issue was raised through the development application for 82 North Kiama Drive, where the owner wanted to install a pool and convert the subfloor storage area of the house to an entertainment area.

This would have the effect of making the house three storeys, although its height would not have changed.

The council ruled the applicant could install the swimming pool, but not make the conversion of the third storey.

Councillor Warren Steel opposed this decision, saying houses built on the side of hills should be able to extend downwards.

He told the Kiama Independent he was pushing "very hard" for the Local Environment Plan to be changed in the current review to remove the three-storey limit.

"Because of our terrain, the sloping blocks and everything, it's a ridiculous situation," Cr Steele said. "When we're talking about digging down, that shouldn't come into it."

Cr Steel said he had a three-storey house similar to the one proposed, which was approved many years ago. He had never received any complaints about it.

Cr Trevor Fredericks also opposed the decision, saying, "If we are serious about urban consolidation and smaller footprints in urban areas, we need to consider third storeys."

Cr Hamish East, who voted to refuse the third storey, said he made his decision based on the existing LEP, but this did not mean the height limit should not be reviewed.

"I think we've got two options: we can go west into the green hills of Jamberoo, which nobody really wants, or we can go up because it is impossible to keep the population where it is,' he said.

"I think it would be better to go up so we definitely need to look at this in the LEP."

Deputy mayor Howard Jones said supporting the development would undermine the work done since 1996.

"As far as I know, in all the 10 years I've been on council, council has not made an exception to the number of storeys rule," he said.

He also said the community had been "pretty strong" in its comments over the years about not having residential developments too high.