Councillor Loretta Baker said few topics had divided Maitland City Council as the vote on medium density housing at Morpeth.
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Cr Baker, who was deputy mayor until last month, had opposed the inclusion of the former bowling club land in plans to meet the city’s future growth as part of a Labor voting block.
But the plans were approved nine votes to four.
“Overall, Maitland City Council has worked well, collectively,” she said.
“This has been one of the biggest areas of disagreement in that it went against the officers’ recommendation.”
The council planning department had recommended the Edward Street site in the Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy be refused because development posed a threat to the character of the village.
Cr Henry Meskauskas said it was unusual for councillors to vote go against the recommendation when they usually had nothing but praise for planning staff.
“Here we are picking [the report] to shreds when all the officers’ reports indicated that this is not the time [to develop],” Cr Meskauskas said.
The comment raised the ire of Cr Steve Procter, who spoke out after the meeting.
“It’s not new to go against the officers’ recommendation,” he said.
“It’s extremely rare, however, that the mayor [Cr Peter Blackmore] vote against the officers’ recommendation like he did and that tells you something.
“We exercised our right as decision makers to implement a better outcome.”
Cr Procter moved key changes to the officers’ recommendation on Tuesday night.
First, that the site be included in the Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy to help home new residents. And second, that council see the plans for villas when Morpeth Land Company lodges its application to rezone the recreational land to avoid surprises.
Cr Baker said if council supported an application to rezone the land there may be no stopping the development.
“Once it’s rezoned you can’t fight it, it becomes a permissible development, and, if you do, it will end up in the Land and Environment Court,” she said.
Councillors in favour of the development on Tuesday night were Steve Procter, Peter Blackmore, Bob Geoghegan, Peter Garnham, Arch Humphery, Brian Burke, Ken Wethered, Philip Penfold and Nicole Penfold.
Those against were Labor councillors Loretta Baker, Ben Whiting, Robert Aitchison and Henry Meskauskas.
