Randwick City Council may have to fight to stop its iconic Coogee Beach from being overshadowed by a 6 story or higher development proposal says local Greens Councillor Murray Matson.
Cr Matson has warned that the proposed 6 to 14 story redevelopment of the Coogee Bay Hotel may throw long shadows over the nearby beach sometime after 3pm.
He said,
“Councillors need to take a precautionary stand at this point in the absence of shadow diagrams to look at because I think that there could be a real risk. Is fair to assume that there is strong risk that even a 6 story or bigger building on the Coogee Bay Hotel site will overshadow the beach to a degree that we don’t yet know.
This shadow could move across the beach south to north from say some time after 3pm.
A 14 story central tower as wanted by the proponents will logically increase the length of the shadow.
The shadow will further be lengthen by the fact that the level of the beach is actually some meters below the ground level of the Coogee Bay Hotel site.”
Cr Matson will be raising the issue at the next meeting of the Council on Tuesday the 23rd February.
He said,
“I don’t want to go down in local history as one of the Councillors who let the State Government approve the ruining of Coogee Beach for beach goers in the evenings. I will be taking the stand that the present 12 meter high building line be retained.”