THE shire’s mayor Cr Lynn Bowden and her husband Ron Bowden have put their five-lot subdivision in Somerville on the market.
The proposal required two appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, including last year when a neighbour objected to the position of the lots.
Mornington Peninsula Shire had previously refused a permit and Ron Bowden appealed the decision in the tribunal.
The subdivided land of about 5.3 hectares (13 acres) is in the triangle formed by Frankston-Flinders and Grant roads.
The shire granted a permit to subdivide on 29 December 2011.
Four vacant lots are on the market for $440,000 (0.44 hectares, 1.1 acres), $460,000 (0.55 hectares, 1.36 acres), $480,000 (0.73 hectares, 1.8 acres) and $600,000 (1.9 hectares, 4.68 acres).
The prices work out to about $360,000 an acre. A price for lot 4 with its four-bedroom house and large shed has not been listed.
The Bowdens intend to build a new house facing east on part of their land.
The subdivision is called Bowden Rise.
Their plan to subdivide was revealed at a candidates’ meeting in Tyabb before the 2008 council election, when Ms Bowden was asked by neighbour Andrew Burdett why she was subdividing in the green wedge zone.
The Bowdens’ property is in a low density residential zone but abuts the green wedge zone.
There is no love lost between the Bowdens and Mr Burdett, son of Bill and Pearl Burdett, founders of the Burdett’s sand, gravel and gardening supplies empire.
Andrew Burdett was an objector at the two VCAT hearings in May 2011 and last year.
Ron Bowden objected when Mr Burdett wanted to build a house, stables and “associated works”. Lynn Bowden declared a conflict of interest when the matter was before the council and left the council chamber, as she had when Bowden Rise came up at council.
Last year, VCAT upheld the council’s decision over the Bowden subdivision. Mr Burdett had objected to the lot density, configuration and associated building envelopes.
The tribunal said there was an “adequate buffer [between] the low density residential zone [the Bowden property] [and] the abutting green wedge zone [the Burdett property].
Shire planner David McPherson reported to the council: “The applicant’s appeal resulted in an amended permit with the deletion of a vehicle access condition.”
Access to the lots is along an informal service road that runs off Frankston-Flinders Rd.
The Bowdens’ subdivision has been handled by Mornington-based Watsons Pty Ltd, the pre-eminent development “one-stop shop” on the peninsula and southeast with a reputation for shepherding difficult projects through labyrinthine planning laws.
Watsons provides town planning, urban design, surveying, civil engineering and project development services for land developers.
Advertisements and internet listings for Bowden Rise by Somerville-based estate agent L Copper read: “A rare opportunity exists for the astute buyer or builder wanting to establish a desirable lifestyle in a coveted location, convenient to schools, transport and the Somerville shopping centre.”
The semi-rural allotments with building parcels have “fabulous views towards the Mt Eliza foothills”.
