Gallery jumps gun

By Tania Martin
AN Olinda businessman has been granted a permit despite allowing a business to open before an application to change the zoning from business to retail had been approved by council.
Brett Dillon rented out one of his units at 1606 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road in Olinda and the business opened before the Shire of Yarra Ranges couple grant a permit.
But despite the issue of non-compliance the Shire of Yarra Ranges still granted the permit to change the zone from business to retail.
Mr Dillon says he had verbal assurances from the planning department that the permit would be approved so he went ahead a let the space to a gallery.
The photographic gallery had a private opening the weekend before the application went to council on Tuesday, 27 March.
Mr Dillon said at the last minute he was told his permit application was going on the meeting agenda.
He believes the permit was going to be approved through the planning department and that the matter wouldn’t be going before the council.
Shire manager of planning, building and health James Lamour-Reid disputed that the planning department gave Mr Dillon verbal assurances that the permit would be approved.
The planning department says no verbal approval for the permit was given and Mr Dillon was advised that the application would go to the council for the final decision.
Shire manager of community relations James Martin said Mr Dillon was advised before the gallery opened the application was to go before council.
He said all planning approvals had to be given in writing and that verbal assurance was not a council practice.
The council has approved the application to change the business zone to retail so the gallery can act as a retail outlet.
Five objections to the proposed zoning change were received with nearby residents listing parking as the main concern.
But Mr Dillon believes parking won’t be an issue.
He said the other business in the block – Olinda Health only operates during the week, which means that those parking spaces will be available.
The council agreed that parking would not be a problem and granted the permit.
But councillors asked to have the non-compliance issue dealt with separately.
Mr Martin said the council had made no move so far to take further action on the non-compliance issue.