MOUNT Alexander Shire councillors should refuse podiatrists permission to make changes on a building in one of Castlemaine's oldest streets, a report states.
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Council officers have urged the council to refuse to issue a planning permit after receiving six objections to the proposal in Doveton Street, Castlemaine.
However, signage would be in the "intact historic residential streetscape" with no "commercial interventions of signage and businesses", they said in a report prepared ahead of a Tuesday council meeting.
The business would move in to a section of street with houses, urban designs and road infrastructure that dates back to the 19th century.
"Some of the houses located nearer Barker Street and Midland Highway date to the 1860s," council officers noted.
They believed converting an historic house and heritage garden into a health center would have a "high detrimental impact" on other components of the wider heritage precinct.
"The intensity of proposed development is not consistent with the heritage values of the precinct," the officers said.
Council officers also raised concerns about the car park proposed for the site, which is in a residential area.
They calculated cars would enter or leave the backyard's eight-space car park a maximum of 54 times a day.
"Whilst this may be reduced by lower patronage depending on booking numbers and the use of taxi/ride-share services, this would still far exceed residential traffic generation and would impact on the amenity of the adjoining and surrounding properties," officers stated.
They were also concerned too little of the car park could be screened with plants to stop neighbours losing privacy.
Doveton Street is one of two proposals officers said should be refused when councillors meet on Tuesday.
They said a bid to partially demolish buildings for a dwelling and garage in Pitman Street, Chewton should also be knocked back over heritage concerns.
Officers said the front of a dwelling to be demolished is one of four miners cottages that have been heritage listed.
But one member of the public argued for it to be partially demolished, saying that it was very dilapidated and that a replacement would improve the streetscape.
Council officers and the owner disagree about how significantly the building has changed over time.
The owner says the property has lost its value because of past conversions and deteriorations.
They said there were also a number of safety concerns and that repairs would come with a significant price tag.
"Council officers acknowledge that the cottage does require repair, however the fact that it needs repair due to very poor condition does not invalidate or remove its heritage value," their report stated.
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