RESIDENTS have only days left to comment on a proposed 12,495sqm warehouse in Hazelmere with submissions closing at 5pm on Wednesday, September 16.

The City of Swan is seeking public comment on a development assessment panel application (DAP) for a warehouse and incidental office at Lot 822 Stirling Crescent.

DAPs decide some major planning applications instead of local councils.

According to the Swan Engage listing, the proposal includes a 12,495sqm warehouse with an overall height of 13.7m.

It also includes a 650sqm office, two 10m crossovers onto Stirling Crescent, two estate signs and 80 on-site car bays.

The applicant is proposing 135 new trees as part of the application.

Stormwater from the roof, hardstand, access and manoeuvring areas is planned to be directed to a treatment area in the north-eastern part of the site.

The treatment area is proposed to sit outside the foreshore boundary.

The application is estimated to generate about 88 vehicle trips during both the morning and afternoon peak hours.

Trillion Trees chief executive officer Mark Hullett said the organisation was concerned about the proposal’s location on the banks of the Helena River.

“The time afforded to neighbours to appraise and respond to the application is exceptionally short, with a letter arriving from the city only on Tuesday, September 8 for comments by Wednesday, Septemeber 16,” he said.

Mr Hullett said the site formed part of a special use zone which was created to provide a buffer between residential and sensitive land uses and the wider Hazelmere industrial precinct.

He said eight lots fell within the zone, including Trillion Trees and Helena River Waldorf School and each lot backed onto the Helena River.

“The interface of the proposed development with the Helena River foreshore is a significant environmental concern,” he said.

The subject site is zoned special use zone 15 under the City of Swan’s local planning scheme 17.

According to Swan Engage, subdivision and development in the zone must be in accordance with a structure plan.

The structure plan must include all lots in the special use zone and must also be approved before additional land use, development or subdivision, apart from limited exceptions.

The listing said a structure plan had not yet been prepared or submitted for precinct 2A of the Hazelmere enterprise area structure plan.

Precinct 2A is known as Helena River.

The precinct earmarks light industrial uses, institutional uses relating to education, health, research and recreation, and a road along the river.

Mr Hullett said Trillion Trees believed aspects of the proposal were inconsistent with the Hazelmere enterprise area structure plan and special use zone requirements.

He said those concerns included the treatment of the local road and shared path near the river foreshore.

During public question time at the City of Swan’s September ordinary council meeting, Guildford Association president Christine Hughes said the warehouse application abutted the floodplain and included 13 separate reports and about 200 pages.

“Who will accept responsibility for confirming accuracy of the claims made in those reports on behalf of the applicant?” she said.

City of Swan statutory planning manager Philip Russell said the city checked that the required matters were generally addressed in the documents before advertising for public comment.

Mr Russell said it was not the city’s role at the outset to test every claim made in applicant documents.

“That’s what the assessment process is for, not the vetting process at the outset,” he said.

The city is not the decision maker for the application.

The application will be determined by the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel.

The city’s role is to provide a recommendation to the panel through a responsible authority report.

Community comments will be included in that report for the panel’s consideration.

Swan residents may leave feedback about the application and access the application’s documents on Swan Engage.