New look for apartment

KNOX City Council has given a conditional green light to the construction of a three-storey apartment building in Ferntree Gully.
The council last week approved the proposed 20-apartment development at 38 Station Street with a series of recommendations to improve the aesthetics of the building.
As a report on the application went before the council at last Tuesday night’s meeting, 28 August, councillors Mick Van de Vreede and David Cooper said that the site was a suitable location for apartment dwelling.
While three objections were received from the public regarding the application, the council was satisfied that the proposal adhered to the housing vision set out in the Knox Planning Scheme and State Government’s Melbourne 2030 document.
With Ferntree Gully being categorised as a Neighbourhood Activity Centre within the Melbourne 2030 vision, the site is seen as a suitable location for higher density residential development – which will help to address a housing shortage in the area.
The Station Street property’s proximity to Ferntree Gully train station, St John’s Primary School and the Ferntree Gully Village Shopping Centre were all factors in the council’s decision to approve the application.
Knox had previously granted a planning permit for the site in March 2003, but work had not begun when the permit expired in February this year.