Borough’s only ‘servo’ faces demolition

A MULTI-million dollar residential and commercial complex could soon replace the Borough of Queenscliffe’s only petrol station under newly proposed plans.

Appearing on council’s website late last month, the planning application proposes a two-storey building located at 200-204 Point Lonsdale Road comprised of four ground level shops with five two-bedroom units on the second level.

Applicant David McDonald Builders submitted the $3.5 million plans proposing a further seven two-storey townhouses featuring three bedrooms with balconies and rooftop terraces.

An additional basement level will comprise of 24 parking spaces for the dwellings, and four parking spaces for the commercial shops.

The development site will include three parcels of land with two street frontages on Lawrence and Point Lonsdale roads, based at the town’s entry.

The design is set to entail a reduction of the standard car parking requirement, alteration to road access as well as create an eight-kilometre distance between residents and the nearest petrol station located in Ocean Grove.

Despite noting that ‘the borough has resisted major redevelopment’, the applicant said the proposal was of an “appropriate two-storey scale” and created housing diversity as well as new commercial opportunities.

The application said the current service station’s “removal should be encouraged” as the structure was of “no heritage value and does not positively contribute to the neighbourhood”.

The applicant said the new design would fit into the surrounding area which features “a mix of old and new, single and double storey housing and a variety of building materials” and is located between Royal Park and the Point Lonsdale Foreshore Reserve.

The site also offered easy access to various town amenities including the supermarket, post office, medical clinic and wider facilities located in nearby townships of Ocean Grove, Queenscliff and Leopold.

Prior to the application being lodged, the site had previously received approval for a supermarket with the permit expiring on August 11, 2013.

The status of the proposal remains pending.