Amid stormy scenes in the council chamber this week, councillors rejected rezoning plans that would allow a 10-storey office building be constructed on Athlone’s Station Road.
Up to 30 residents of St Francis Terrace and the Station Road area were in the public gallery to witness the debate, at the end of which the vote was tied at four in favour and four against altering the town plan to allow for high rise development at the site.
However, as the resolution needed a majority of six to carry it, it is back to the drawing board for Athlone Town Council and the proposed developers, who it is expected will now appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
The decision comes in the wake of an application by Aidan Kelly and Michael O’Sullivan for planning permission to construct a seven-storey office building with two-storey basement car park. The proposal evolved into a 10-storey office block with reduced floor space and modified to address some concerns regarding visual impact.
To repeated shouts of “Rubbish!” from the public gallery, Cllrs Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Aengus O’Rourke (FF ), Alan Shaw, and Mark Cooney (FG ) voted in favour of the rezoning, while Cllrs Gabrielle McFadden (FG ), Paul Hogan (SF ), Jim Henson (Lab ), and mayor Sheila Buckley Byrne (Ind ) elicited cheers for their rejection of the proposal.
Proposing the site be rezoned to allow for the building, Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran pointed out there had been no input from the public when the last council earmarked the site in question for tall building.
“This would bring employment into the town. It is the town centre and we want to send out signals that we want the town to grow. I think it’s a great opportunity,” he said.
Cllr Gabrielle McFadden was concerned the site would be a white elephant. “I am concerned it will be vacant for years to come. If we have an unoccupied prominent site it will advertise Athlone’s recession.” She added that the Texas centre was still lying vacan and had “scope for development”.
“The council are elected to represent all the people of Athlone; who will be representing the people of St Francis Terrace, Southlands, and Station Road if we vote for his?” she added.
However party colleague Cllr Alan Shaw said that “without progress and change the town will remain stagnant”.
“No funding would be available unless a tenant was secured by the developer...I would like to see the residents facilitated, particularly with a children’s playground and sound barriers,” he added.
Paul Hogan was concerned that the council had no definition of a ‘tall building’. “The report refers to ‘minimal overshadowing’, but the illustrations show it is much greater, affecting the first eight houses in St Francis Terrace and maybe more,” he said.
“We are all for jobs and development, but it’s the kind of development and the implications for the people we represent that are important.”
Cllr Jim Henson agreed, and pointed out there are several unoccupied business premises in the town at present.
Meanwhile Cllr Aengus O’Rourke said; “I think a high quality development in this prime location would attract high end business - for me that means jobs.” He also suggested the establishment of a ‘community forum’ to engage on an ongoing basis with residents.
Mayor Sheila Buckley Byrne said nothing in the location satisfied her that it is suitable for a tall building.
“These residents are people to be cherished and valued; why are we encouraging new people to move into the centre of town if we are not looking after the people who are already there?...This development is too tall, it is not right for the site, and the council needs to revisit its policy in relation to tall buildings,” she concluded.
