Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1478966
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 JAMES DEBONO A green field in Santa Luċija, zoned for two five-storey blocks in 2020, faces the prospect of having 48 apartments built on part of it. Building plans submitted by developer Anton Camilleri, who owns part of the open space, are being opposed by the local council and other objectors. Objections concern the five-sto- rey height of the proposed de- velopment, even though zoning happened two years ago, and the density of the project. Objectors are saying that in the same year that the PA zoned the field for five-storey blocks, the same authority had turned down a much smaller development a mere 100m away for a five-storey building. The landmark decision by the PA to reject the relatively small devel- opment effectively set a precedent against the erection of five-storey buildings in Santa Lucija. In its decision back then, the Planning Commission had con- cluded that the height of the de- velopment was in breach of the Development Control Design Pol- icy of 2015, which requires that the impact of development on the skyline be taken into considera- tion in the assessment of develop- ment applications. It was also deemed to be in breach of another policy which states that wherever "a uniform design prevails and it may be es- tablished that a number of impor- tant streetscape parameters exist, the emphasis will be on respecting such parameters". Moreover, the proposed five-storey apartment building was deemed not to respect the character of the area in which it is located, consisting of a "com- prehensive housing estate charac- terised by terraced houses with a predominant two-storey building height, and which is also of low density facing ODZ". The propos- al was also deemed to be in breach of the Strategic Plan for Environ- ment and Development which re- fers to the protection of the char- acter, amenity and distinctiveness of urban areas. But the Planning Authority is now considering a full develop- ment application of 48 apartments in the locality. Objectors to the new develop- ment proposed by Camilleri, are now invoking the same policies used by the Planning Authority to reject the application. The development is being pro- posed on 1,200sq.m of open space along Triq L-Istefanotis and Triq Katerina Vitale in the heart of the locality, 80m away from the pri- mary school. The area was added to development boundaries in 2006. The development was the sub- ject of a public meeting held on 7 September called by the lo- cal council to explain why it had unanimously agreed to oppose the development and to give an opportunity to residents to voice their concerns before the council presents its formal objection. The council has yet to present its for- mal objection. During the meeting the council agreed to support and circulate an objection letter drafted by Movi- ment Graffitti in a bid to rally the community against the proposed development. In the past two days more than 100 objections have been signed by residents. Resi- dents have until 22 September to submit their feedback to the Plan- ning Authority. According to the objection let- ter the proposed development of a green enclave in Santa Lucija to make way for yet another five-sto- rey apartment block goes against the spirit of the way the small locality developed in the past 60 years as "a novel and pioneering housing concept". "This proposal as it is today goes against the original ideology in the design of the village which for the last 60 years, up until today has been respected," the objectors are saying. In their objection residents claim that the proposed building block is not being planned and developed to include a public open space as foreseen in the zoning permit is- sued in 2020. The zoning permit specifies that two apartment blocks "shall each be planned and developed comprehensively" and that the developers of each block should "at their own expense construct, implement and maintain" each of the two public open spaces adja- cent to each block. The recently submitted applica- tion for the erection of one of the two blocks does not include any plans for the 'open space' on an adjacent site. The residents insist that the proposal will remove an area that currently serves as a green lung to residents and that the visual im- pact of the development will be drastic to the existing townscape. The development is described as excessively bulky, being two to three floors higher than the exist- ing surrounding buildings. The height of the building will also mean that residents in the surrounding area will be robbed of their privacy. The objectors point out that while the surround- ing block areas have a maximum of 27 units, the proposal alone will have 48 residential units and 75 garages. Residents are warning that the proposed development will in- crease traffic in an area that is al- ready difficult to park. Five-storey building will mar Santa Lucija's low-lying streetscapes Residents brace themselves for fight against proposed development that will consist of 48 apartments over five f loors