Resort gets nod

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges last week gave the nod to a resortstyle development in Warburton.
This follows a review by an independent planning panel appointed by the Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, to assess an application to transform the former Sanitarium factory in Warburton into the Edgewater Resort.
The resort will include 104 units, a restaurant, bar, cafe, function centre and a museum in the basement of the original factory.
Health spa facilities including massage, and spa baths will also be on offer.
Planners expect there to be parking spaces for at least 217 cars, as well as an unspecified number of parking spaces available to the general public.
In February this year the developer, Gary Crocket of the Crocket Group, applied for a combined rezoning and planning application.
The council put the application on display and received a number of submissions from government departments and concerned residents.
Submissions received from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, National Trust, the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail Committee, Melbourne Water and the Environment Protection Authority have been resolved.
A 30signature petition was received from concerned residents outlining concerns that the proposed buildings would be unsightly, that they would obscure views, that they would detract from the heritage value of the former factory building, and the development would result in an increase in traffic along the Warburton Highway.
The council in May referred the application to Mr Hulls to appoint an independent planning panel to address the concerns.
The panel conducted a public hearing at the Upper Yarra Art Centre in Warburton on Thursday, 21 July, with representatives from the Shire and three submitters present.
Shire director of planning, building and health James LamourReid said the panel recommended the planning permit and rezoning be approved, with modifications.
He said one of those modifications was that a revised car parking layout be developed to provide sufficient access for the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.
Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail committee chair Liz Tunnecliffe said the committee did not in any way to hold up the development.
However, she said the committee would like to see a survey of the site undertaken to clearly define the area and make sure the rail trail was adequately catered.
Mr LamourReid expected the development to result in substantial benefits to the local community.