Glen Eira Debates

Council is gearing up to erect at least 5 multi-level car parks throughout Glen Eira – with the possibility of more. Bentleigh alone is to cop 2 according to the recent response to a public question. Yet, the published draft structure plan only admits to ONE multi level car park. We therefore have the ridiculous situation where a response to a public question can state:

The structure plan proposes to increase the parking throughout the centre by 264 public spaces. To increase the parking numbers Council will need to construct two multi deck car parks. (Page 9 of the minutes) 

Whilst the ‘endorsed’ draft structure plan only focuses on the Horsely Street recommendation: 

Development of a new multi-level car park with provision of retail activity at ground floor. (Page 41 of Structure Plan) 

No mention is made of the possibility of two multi-level car parks! 

The table below summarises council’s car parking proposals.

• How can the Bleazby site suddenly provide an additional 143 spots – unless the intent of course is to erect a multi level car park? Wouldn’t it be lovely if for once council was honest and informed residents clearly and precisely what it had in mind!

Thus we have to ask:

• Is council deliberately obfuscating and hiding its intentions?
• How much will all this cost and when will it be completed?
• How much public land will be flogged off to developers or leased to them?
• What Parking Precinct amendments will be introduced and will the levy be miniscule?
• Can you really cram 480 car parking spots into 3 levels or will this end up being more like 5 or 6 levels?

The abysmal record of these councillors continues with the latest VCAT decision on 240-250 McKinnon Road, McKinnon. The application was for 6 storeys, 6 tiny shops and 33 apartments. As per usual, councillors decided to lop off a couple of storeys and a few apartments. The permit they granted was for 4 storeys. Naturally the developer went to VCAT and ensured that council’s record of 100% failure when this occurs was repeated. The developer got his 6 storeys and 33 apartments!

Here are some quotes from the decision. We are not endorsing the member’s decision but simply pointing out that whilst council does nothing about its neighbourhood centres they will soon rival the major activity centres in height, density, and poor residential amenity.

There is no specific design or built form policy or control for the McKinnon NAC

• As I have indicated, there is no development control, either in a mandatory or discretionary form, that applies in this case. I appreciate the aim for a built form response linked to the role of an activity centre in the hierarchy however, it is not appropriate to adopt a blanket position that four storeys is the maximum height for commercial land in the McKinnon NAC because of controls introduced in other places (but not in the McKinnon NAC) and because each site is different and each proposal must be assessed on its own merits.
• There is no policy basis to support submissions about a single or uniform height limit for all commercial land in the McKinnon NAC.

1. I also note Mr Carey’s (for applicant) observation that the assessing Council officer did not recommend deletion of the top two storeys. The officer concluded in part that:

While the proposal will undoubtedly be taller and more robust than adjoining existing development, it is considered that it represents what policy expects in terms of change given the size of the site, the emerging built form in the immediate area and its strategic location

Here is a run down of applications, permits, and amended permits that have all come in, or been decided, since January 2017. Council has refused only a handful. But we are sure they will end up at VCAT and get their permits whilst council sits like Nero fiddling whilst the city burns! The grand total of the following is approaching 400 dwellings.

Bayside, Boroondara, Monash, Maroondah, Stonnington, Melton, Knox, Darebin are just some of the councils who have clearly defined structure plans for their so-called ‘neighbourhood centres’. In Glen Eira, our neighbourhood centres have been left to the wolves! More concerning is that we are yet to receive any indication of:

• When planning is to be finalised for these centres
• What ‘controls’ are likely to be introduced? Now that 6 storeys is common, should we expect that council will opt for these height limits?
• Will the heights be mandatory or ‘preferred’?
• Why has there been absolute silence on council’s obligation to draft ‘preferred character statements’ for all ‘housing diversity’ areas? Surely this could have been well and truly commenced by now?
• What impact does all this development in neighbourhood centres have on council’s projected housing needs? – where is this documented, justified, analysed, and communicated?

Our conclusions are that council has already decided on most things. No interim heights for Elsternwick when Bentleigh and Carnegie got the nod is surely an indication that they were preparing for 12 storey height limits in this suburb. Will the same hold true for our neighbourhood centres and the excuse will be that there already are ‘precedents’ set. These precedents are the result of a decade of doing nothing and an agenda that is all for more and more development! The tragedy is that our 5 new councillors have taken up this mantra and joined the Hyams, Esakoff, Magee, Delahunty pro-development faction!

The list!

8 Elm Grove MCKINNON – 3 storey, 6 units

23 Prince Edward Avenue MCKINNON – 18 x 3 storey

30-32 Prince Edward Avenue MCKINNON – 3 storey, 17 units

203 McKinnon Road MCKINNON – 3 storey, 2 units

91 McKinnon Road MCKINNON – 3 storey, 10 units

168 McKinnon Road MCKINNON – 3 storey, 23 units

240-250 McKinnon Road MCKINNON – 6 storey, 33 units

134-138 McKinnon Road MCKINNON VIC 3204 – 3 storey, 21 units (now going for 22 units)

9 Station Avenue MCKINNON – 8 units

15- 17 Station Avenue MCKINNON – 3 storey, 16 units

33 Station Avenue MCKINNON – 4 double storeys

27 Station Avenue MCKINNON – 4 x 3 storeys

40 Station Avenue MCKINNON – 3 double storeys

12 Glen Orme Avenue MCKINNON – 3 x 3 storeys

16 Glen Orme Avenue MCKINNON – 3 double storeys

1 – 9 Claire Street MCKINNON – 53 units

6 Claire Street MCKINNON – 32 units

248 Jasper Road MCKINNON – 4 storey, ???? units

283 Jasper Road MCKINNON – 3 double storeys

254 Jasper Road MCKINNON – 4 storey, 7 units

39 Lees Street MCKINNON – 4 double storeys

2 Shanahan Crescent MCKINNON – 3 double storeys

27 Draper Street MCKINNON – 3 double storeys

1-9 Adelaide – 34 x3 storey

2 Adelaide Street MCKINNON – 4 units

219 Tucker Road MCKINNON – 3 storey, 4 units

Last council meeting contained some very interesting tenders, to say the least. Money it seems is not a problem for Glen Eira, despite rate capping and the constant crying poor!

All decisions of course are made in camera and with no transparency as to the basis of the decision making, the criteria employed, nor the final weighting for each application – unlike other councils where this information is published! One tender in particular leaves us dumbfounded. This is for the redevelopment of the skate park at GESAC.

We are not questioning the decision to ‘redevelop’. What we are questioning is:

• Why has the cost doubled – going from a budget allocation of $550,000 in 2016/17 to over a million?
• Admittedly costs may rise over time, but a 50% hike in a year is clearly beyond the pale
• Did the ‘design’ of the skate park change? If so, when was the decision made to endorse these changes and hence costs? Where is the record of any such decision? Who made any such decision? Was this ratified by councillors at any stage prior to the awarding of the tender?