Hundreds of people have packed a public meeting demanding Hobart City Council reject applications by the Singapore developer Fragrance Group to build two towering hotels in the city.
About 400 people turned out for a public meeting which also called for a referendum on the issue of height limits.
Convened by the new lobby group, Hobart not Highrise, the meeting urged the council stick to height limits reflected in current planning schemes
The group's president, Brian Corr, said it was close to meeting the requirement of 1,000 signatures needed to petition for an electors' poll.
He said Hobart residents should be allowed to have some say in height limits, and the look and feel of the city.
"The real risk is further down the track [is] if it gets declared as a regional project, which effectively allows the minister or a panel to make a decision on the buildings," he said.
Mr Corr said there was strong opposition to the prospect of hotel skyscrapers on the Hobart skyline.
"I actually did not hear one vote against which is absolutely terrific," he said.
"In fairness to the Hobart City Council, I think they will refuse these two buildings.
"I'm very hopeful they will. In fact, in all honesty I can't find any reason why they wouldn't."
He said the meeting's four motions would be put to the council.
"We're standing up for strong planning rules that protect Hobart's human scale, heritage values, and skyline," he said.
"The Woolstore is a good example of taking an old warehouse and turning it into a modern, successful and profitable hotel, and it isn't 120 meters high," said Mr Corr.
The council has embarked on a process to change planning laws governing eight blocks bounded by Murray, Macquarie, Melville and Argyle streets, commissioning a report by Architect, Leigh Woolley.
The council is receiving further advice on Mr Woolley's suggested 75 metre height limit.
The motions passed by the meeting were to:
- support and defend current planning rules that protect important city views including of the mountain, avoid a windy and shaded city, and retain Hobart's heritage character;
- reject development applications for buildings that breach height rules, such as the Fragrance Group's proposals for 2-6 Collins Street and 28-30 Davey Street;
- set absolute maximum upper height limits that reflect the existing height rules in the planning schemes for Hobart City up to 45 meters in the CBD, depending on location, and Sullivans Cove 18 meters depending on location; and
- reconsider the proposal to amend CBD height limits to allow broader community input in the design of improved planning rules and inclusion of the documental heritage values of city streetscapes, buildings and other features.
