Developer of proposed hotel answers questions

THE proponent for a five-storey hotel at the start of the Great Ocean Road attended a community meeting in Torquay North last week to answer a string of questions about the proposed development.

The planning application for the 128-room Hotel Indigo at 2-4 Geelong Road and 48 Bell Street went on public exhibition earlier this week, and independent candidate for South Barwon Damien Cole invited Barnes Capital managing director Martyn Barnes to an information session at Grant Pavilion on Wednesday night.

During the 90-minute forum, Greater Torquay Alliance president Andrew Cherubin gave a presentation on some of the potentially problematic parts of the application, with the more than 60 audience members directing their questions variously at him or Mr Barnes.

Car parking and traffic rapidly emerged as one of the most contentious issues.

The capacity of the basement car park was also questioned, with several audience members suggesting 180 spots would not be enough to hold all of the hotel’s guests, staff and visitors to its amenities.

“That’s the advice we’ve been given,” Mr Barnes said.

Mr Barnes said a large international group that he would not name had been appointed to run the hotel but “if you read my website, you can probably work out who it is”.

The hotel will take about 20 months to build, and Mr Barnes said there was no intention to sell any of the apartments.

Mr Cherubin said the planning application had illustrated the need for the shire to reform its planning scheme and create rules instead of guidelines.

“I have three clients who will not build in the Surf Coast Shire, simply because of the planning scheme.”

To view the planning application and make a submission, see surfcoast.vic.gov.au and click on the property tab.