By James Wells
Residents have expressed their concerns about the plans to open a new 1300 square metre Dan Murphy’s store within a residential area.
A number of residents have told the ABC that the planned New Town store in Hobart will
One local resident, Ann Brown, described the new store as “a monstrosity of a building” that “would be right in our courtyard virtually”.
"It's proposed to be six-metre-high building, built right on our boundary wall, with only a very small amount of space in between," Brown told the ABC.
"That will tower over our whole house — our sunlight, our courtyard, our view to the mountain, this building will actually laugh at our lovely townhouse,” she said.
A statement issued to TheShout by Dan Murphy’s has addressed the concerns from the Hobart residents.
“Hobart has long awaited a Dan Murphy's, and we continue to work closely with Council to ensure our much-anticipated development proposal fulfils the needs of the community,” said Endeavour Drinks Group head of risk and reputation, Andrew Wilsmore.
“We have welcomed feedback from local residents and consequently made some modifications to our building design to accommodate their concerns,” the statement concluded.
A representative from the National Trust has also commented on the development of the store which will be built in one of Hobart’s oldest suburbs.
"The building could be anywhere in Australia, it's not architecture," the deputy chairman of the National Trust, Warwick Oakman told the ABC.
"This building has got a water cooler on top of it and has a big portrait of Dan Murphy on the top of it so it contributes nothing to the urban streetscape."
"If we've got the Woolworths-owned Dan Murphy's not being asked to hop through those same hoops [as local businesses] you must wonder how easy it is for projects of state significance," he said.
"What it's about is working with Tasmania … making better buildings and it's a client that can afford it.
"It's a reasonable question for people in Tasmania and Hobartians to ask the Council."