Councillors have expressed concern about a 183-bed Build To Rent development in Drumcondra, Co Dublin, which would include a flood wall up to two metres high along the Tolka River.
British development company Hollybrook has applied to An Bord Pleanála for planning permission for apartment blocks up to 10 storeys high as a Strategic Housing Development.
All 183 units on the Richmond Road development would be either one or two-bed, with 104 being one-bed.
Most councillors on the North Central Area committee said they opposed the development, with concern being expressed about the height, the effect on traffic and the fact that it would be Build To Rent.
Executive Planner with Dublin City Council Shane Healy said he shared councillors' concerns about the absence of three-bed units, but said they were bound by national planning guidelines, which did not allow this to be made a condition.
He also said the 10 storey height was "overdone".
The developers are promising a pedestrian/cycle route and a 126 metre flood wall along the river to link up with the Tolka Greenway.
However, Cllr Donna Cooney of the Green Party said the flood wall, which would be over 6ft high, was an example of "hard engineering" that would block the view of the river.
Chairperson of the committee, Cllr Patricia Roe of the Social Democrats, said the problem was that planning in Dublin was "ad hoc" with councillors only able to look at one project at a time.
The plans have been revised following concerns expressed by An Bord Pleanála about a number of issues, including the height of the buildings along the river and the fact the original plans had one cafe to account for 'mix of uses'.
A special meeting of the area committee heard that the board is due to give its decision on the Richmond Road SHD on 22 April.
