A draft planning agreement to raise an approved Wickham development by three storeys has been placed on public exhibition.
The developer of the Bowline apartments at 10 Dangar Street has applied to increase the building height to 17 storeys from an approved 14.
The original plan was approved by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel, but the latest application has been referred to Newcastle council as it involves provision of a planning agreement, which is a monetary contribution for community infrastructure in exchange for the approved proposal.
The proposed contribution is $1.58 million, which is based on the additional 3,065 square metres of floor space.
While the agreement was supported for exhibition, deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen pointed out the action did not endorse the proposal.
"There is a separate DA that has been lodged and is going through a merit based assessment process," Cr Clausen said.
He said the Wickham community had raised a number of concerns about the development, including visitor parking, disability services and waste management and storage.
Liberal councillor Jenny Barrie said parking was an issue in Wickham due to the amount of development in the area, and council needed to ensure any plan put "money on the ground" to benefit the community.
"If we start taking money all the time for developers to go up and up and up and up and up I think we have to be very careful on the ground level that the rubbish trucks, the traffic flow, the parking, everything has been assessed properly and we invest the money in the city, with Wickham especially because that is where people love to play," she said.
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