Just Too Big
for
North Fitzroy Village

At first glance the six-storey mixed use development proposed for 197-205 St Georges Road may appear reasonable, which is why it has so far succeeded in ‘flying under radar’.

But on closer examination, its height and bulk pose an existential threat to the prevailing character of North Fitzroy Village and the amenity of neighbouring streets—the type of threat Queens Parade also faced prior to the introduction of planning amendment C231.

The PFN crew wishes you and yours the best for the festive season.

Fingers crossed for a less dramatic 2023.

VCAT approves fascist architecture inspired plans,

squeezing 30% more apartments on 26-56 Queens Parade

 The central tower design was inspired by the purpose built  Mussolini's Fascist Party Headquarters in Como, Italy.
Photo further down the page.

How tone deaf is the developer, Yarra planning and VCAT to neighbourhood character ?

K.G. Luke Inc, whose factory is on this site, spent WW2 making medical equipment,  medals, buttons, munitions for our soldiers fighting the axis powers. At the war's end K.G. Luke Inc. contributed to fundraising for Italian refugees who had fled Fascist Italy, coming to make their new life here in and around North Fitzroy.

Como Fascist headquarters was not pulled down after WW2, despite what occurred within. However, you will not see black, or white, apartment towers aping the design throughout Italy, only here in North Fitzroy.

Each VCAT panel enforces their own interpretation of minimum acceptable standards. VCAT is not there to enforce quality - just minimum standards. The most we can hope for, when we take a developer to VCAT, is the members assess the mountain of evidence - paid for by the developer - critically.

This council's planning department chose to spend spent thousands and thousands of dollars, during COVID, on a high powered legal team to fight the amenity of its current & future residents at VCAT. 

This council spent thousands and thousands of dollars fighting to support :

• A 30% increase in intensity on the approved design. Apartments up from 256 to 337.
  
  
• Zero affordable housing.
  
  
• The loss of all 4 bedroom, and 34 * 3 bedroom apartments, when the policy need is for larger apartments.
  
  
• 100+ studio/one bedroom apartments layouts - many with so little space - even the developer's planning expert said they were un-acceptable. Minimum sized balconies - made tinier by including air-conditioners.
  
  
• An entertainment deck less than 10m from the windows of the neighbouring terraces and social housing. This solution was rejected by council & VCAT in the original VCAT decision.

Protect Fitzroy North is profoundly disappointed with many aspects of Yarra planning throughout this process.

Piedimontes VCAT Decision is in

It's a reduction of one apartment from the corner of the main building (Building A) to reduce the height and bulk at the Scotchmer/Best St corner, and the reduction of one level of Building B atop the Scotchmer St shops - at a loss of 3 additional apartments. 

The community members probably hoped for more, but are nonetheless vindicated that the proposal as originally put forward was indeed unacceptable in planning terms.

Well done to all of those who worked so tirelessly to get to this point. You can't control what you'll get out of these things, but you can control what you put in. And what an effort it was.

Hopefully you can get some peace for a time while you gird yourselves for the inevitable battle over the laneway - without which this permit remains just a piece of paper.

You can read the full decision : Pdf Download Link Here

2020 - what a roller coaster, what a year

First  the  good  news

Then a kick in the guts at Christmas on 26-56 Queens Pde

Over 50m high

Developer taking our council & residents to VCAT

592-622 Smith St, 2-12 Alexandra Pde and 1-7 Reeves St, Clifton Hill 

VCAT Reference : P1511/2020   Yarra Reference : PLN19/0845

The proposed development threatens the wonderful amenity of our neighbourhood with its mammoth size, creating significant traffic, and amenity issues.

Protect Clifton Hill have won the first round because the council has refused the developer's application. The community has made their opposition clear to VCAT, in Statements of Grounds.

The next step is the 

Leading Urban Design Expert Report  - Many fixes required

Professor McGauran's Urban Design report is very supportive of an office building, the new laneway, and a supermarket for this site. He does take issue with the height, bulk, and failure to increase the space for pedestrians at the building entrance on Smith street. 

Yarra Council Refuses the Application 

1. Height, layout and massing of the development fails to adequately respond to the context of the area and would result in unacceptable impacts on the public realm.
   
   
2. Loading bay arrangements would result in an unacceptable impact on the road system and the public realm.
   
   
3. Traffic impacts on the surrounding area have not been adequately explained to demonstrate that the proposed development would not have an adverse impact on the surrounding area.
   
   
4. Bicycle parking provision for visitors is inadequate for the scale of the development.

Tim "Avocado" Gurner wants more

K.G. Luke Factory at 26-56 Queens Parade

Mr Gurner has asked taxpayers to fund the review and decision on yet another set of his plans at VCAT. We are now up to the fifth full set of plans, and the third firm of architects.

After the current set was approved in 2018 he declared  “we are pleased with the outcome and believe this new design will deliver on our vision of a world-class precinct for the area.”

Gurner took the council to VCAT in 2016 because their decision was not fast enough. Four years later, he has had his permit for over two years and nothing has happened. The acres of crumbling asbestos sheeting is still there.

His latest super favourite architects were inspired by Mussolini's Palazzo della Civilta Italiana and Casa del Fascio. Yes, to Tim "avocado" Gurner,  nothing says North Fitzroy neighbourhood character like Italian fascist architecture.

We say, enough tax payer money has been spent entertaining a vanity parade of architect's visions, get on with it already, you already have approved plans for a design you proposed, just build it.

Council Refused "Unacceptable" Redesign

Reasons for Refusal at YDC on 14th October with Councillors Jackie Fristacky & James Searle.

1. The proposed massing does not respond to the existing or preferred character of the area and will dominate the surrounding area.
2. The proposed massing will result in unacceptable off-site amenity impacts.
3. The proposal will result in unacceptable on-site amenity impacts, including natural daylight and ventilation.
4. The application lacks sufficient information to enable a proper assessment against the relevant provisions of the Yarra Planning Scheme.

Pity Judge Judy doesn't do VCAT

Proper Render of Approved Design

Artistic impression of New Design

Accurate Scaled drawing of the new design. Red dashes mark the outline of the previously approved building.

** Council motion to Refuse - passed **

Council refused the application on four grounds :

1. Excessive heritage demolition
2. Scale, Height and architectural quality does not fit the heritage context.
3. Scale does not respond to the character of North Fitzroy Village.
4. Does not provide a net community benefit.

Well over 260 submissions were received for the meeting - on top of the over 600 original objections - another mighty effort.

Piedimontes have 60 days from 21st May to decide whether or not to appeal to VCAT, as of 27th June no news.

C231 Queens Parade Panel Report

Special Council Meeting

Many of you who made submissions to C231 would have received an email letting you know there is a Special Council Meeting being held at the Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier Street, Fitzroy.

Starting time is 7:00pm on Tuesday, 25th February.

This is just a small note following on from the positive Planning Panel report on Queens Parade Amendment C231 to the Yarra Planning Scheme, which seeks to provide development controls for the entirety of Queens Parade.

You may recall that the panel recommended a mandatory height limit of 3 storeys or 10.5m for the majority of the Queens Parade shopping strip, and a mandatory height limit of 4 storeys or 14m for just the south-east section running from the former Clifton's Warehouse / Retravision on one corner through to the water features shop on the other.

In addition the panel endorsed a suite of improved setbacks to protect the residential amenity of houses behind the Queens Parade shops.  This is a far cry from the 6 storeys we started with.

Yarra Council now need to consider their position on the panel's report and have convened a Special Council Meeting at the Fitzroy Town Hall  (note - not Richmond!) in order to hear from any members of the community who wish to make a submission on the way forward.  The report and some position on it must be progressed to the Planning Minister and his department for the controls to become law.

The options on the table are:

• Completely accept the panel's report as-is and forward to the minister.
• Largely accept the panel's report, with some recommended changes, and forward to the minister.
  (The option also exists to do nothing and let all controls lapse, but this is not realistically on the table.)

It needs to be noted that among the changes mooted is the possibility of returning to a 4 storeys limit on all of the Queens Parade heritage shops.  Protect Fitzroy North and the broader community groups making submissions are opposed to such a move.  The planning panel were clear in their report that the difference between 3 storeys and 4 is very marginal in terms of development yield, but that 3 storeys better safeguards both heritage and the ongoing viability of the shops as shops rather than as a facade for apartments above.

We will be there with other community groups to put our view.  If you wish to be there whether to watch or make a submission, here is the notice of meeting, agenda and attachments:

https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/events/2020/02/25/council-meeting-25-february-2020

.. and an alternative link in case there are issues with the above:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Dwb8O8zYtcgOjRPIqIz5tr1o5FurBrwD

The council will only vote on the matter at the meeting on the 17th of March at the earliest - and that date may still slip.  We'll be there again and keep everyone informed prior.

The C231 Panel agreed with the community 

After two years, more than 400 written submissions and months of preparation, the 10 day panel hearing delivered an awesome result.

The panel shared the community’s view that Queens Parade is a heritage jewel, and it should be preserved.

The panel also agreed Queens Parade shopping centre was a vibrant neighbourhood hub so shopfronts, primary retail spaces and rear-laneway access also needed to stay.

A 10.5m limit (two heritage storeys or three modern) for the shopping strip matches the top level heritage protection in place for Lygon and Acland Streets.

Notable features of the report include:

• Shops - to stay as neighbourhood shops, and retain rear-way laneway access. Any additions must start 10m back from the front parapets.
• Large factory sites - will accommodate the high density departments, stepping down to low-rise neighbours.
• Streets - will be pedestrian friendly; maximise sunlight; limit wind impact and promote best-practice design.

This is a heart-warming outcome that’s consistent with Plan Melbourne 2050.

Currently - The panel’s controls “carry weight” at VCAT until at least the end of March 2020.

Next Step - Council will vote on approving the panel recommended controls in the new year.

Final Step - Planning Minister will review and hopefully approve the new Queens Parade controls.

Many thanks and credit where it’s due 

This positive result came courtesy of:

The 400 plus written submissions from community members spoke with a mighty voice. 

The combined Queens Parade Residents and Traders Group who ran the community’s case. Joining with our traders, put the insight of the people who run those businesses we depend on, in front of the panel. 

Nigel Lewis, our heritage planning expert, who successfully argued the 10.5m maximum which has protected Lygon and Acland Streets was also needed for Queens Parade. Nigel was engaged with funding donated by locals.  

The Royal Historical Society and The National Trust who gave compelling presentations on the heritage character of Queens Parade. 

Plan Melbourne 2050 authors for including the requirement to listen to the voice of the community.

The City of Yarra officers for working so hard to produce the draft controls. This included arranging for 3D models which proved to be an effective way of illustrating the impact for a range of proposed controls.

Finally, thanks to our councillors for voting unanimously to take effective action to protect our heritage shopping strips. 

A copy of the panel report, and the can be accessed on the Amendment Web Page 

Much Much Much ... Too Big

267 - 271 Queens Parade

VCAT Hearing postponed to August 2020

At the practice day we learnt the neighbouring businesses are "Not happy Jan", so three extra legal teams lined up to _oppose_ the plans at VCAT.

This will be our first VCAT where three top flight teams will be lined up with the residents and council, _against_ the development.

The developer's architect described the design as follows : 
"the shape and burst of the upper level building form reflects a V8 engine block bursting out of its bonnet”.

The red central column is transparent plastic, so not only will it tower over Queens Parade during the day, it will potentially be highly visible in the skyline at night, as a glowing red pole - all the way up Ruckers Hill.

The council's web page for this development is : Council Web Page

Queens Parade C231 Panel - Completed

Traders and Residents presented brilliantly

An amazing complement of residents groups, residents and traders have put their hands up to speak to the panel. Queens Pde cannot talk - but we can - and this is where the future of Queens Pde will be decided.

The experts paid for by the community did a great job putting forward technical evidence supporting, in particular the cases where lower building heights, and less visibility in other heritage shopping strips has been successful.  

David, Virginia were there each day of the hearing. With Chris they took on the difficult task of cross-examining the experts and were very effective.
 
Very many community members - put in an appearance in the public gallery at some point in proceedings. The panel chair Kathy Mitchell thanked the community for their submissions written and presented, the positive contribution across the entire hearing, for attending so many of the sessions, and made a special mention of thanks for organising our own experts to present.
 
The positive impact of the 400+ written submissions cannot be overstated.

The strong, consistent voice across virtually all the submissions in favour of lower and mandatory height controls, gave the council officers a clear direction in producing the council's preferred controls to be put before the panel.

The 400+ submissions were considered by each independent expert in their panel preparations

The 400+ submissions was accepted as evidence the council met Policy 5.1.2 (bold added)

Policy 5.1.2 The attributes of and opportunities for neighbourhood
activity centres at the local level vary across Melbourne.
That is why local communities should lead the planning
of their own centres

Policy 5.1.2 is a two edged sword. Without the strong clear consistent voice in submissions in favour of lower and mandatory height controls, the council's lower mandatory heights in the amended controls, could be denied based on lack of evidence of community support.

Our council officers and legal team, lead by Susan Brennan, were just great.

The amount of evidence preparation done by our council officers and legal team was very detailed.  One example - the only community submitter who wrote in support of 6 storeys, was contacted, to make sure their evidence taken into account. The submitter did not want their evidence pursued, so no position supporting 6 storeysneeded to be put. 

The National Trust and the Royal Victorian Historical Society made excellent, well researched presentations strongly supporting protecting the unique heritage and the heritage character of Queens Parade.

A job well done by all 400+ submitters and presenters 

Brilliant Fundraising Diner at Argo's 

The local residents and traders came together to enjoy a night of beautiful food, lots of chat, laughs and amazing generosity. Many thanks to all for a great night. 

We have a wonderful group of people in Queens Parade villagewho provide us friendly service close to home.

When you go local and buy local, its a win-win all round.

Way Too Big - Moskito - 201-215 Queens Parade

VCAT Hearing - 55 King Street

Withdrawn by Applicant - Hearing Vacated

Brilliant effort by the Save Queens Parade in preparing and organising the community case. The local residents appearing for the first morning "filled the room" and then some.

Standing room only - so senior member Naylor, as the first order of business, organised a much larger tribunal room for us all to transfer to on the ground floor. 

By the time we had moved to a much larger hearing room on the ground floor - the applicant had decided they would not proceed with the case - so the hearing finished  before lunch on the first day. 

Full House for Piedimontes Community Meeting

Back with a nicer design but is that enough?

Residents came together to fill the room for the Community Meeting an the North Fitzroy Library run by the Fitzroy North Residents Action Group. The plans were walked through, and a North Fitzroy Q & A was attacked with gusto - as usual :-)

Hazel, a leading local architect stepped the audience brilliantly through the the new plans. Download Slide Pack

Glen McCallum from PFN spoke on how a community group can drive a more reasonable outcome. Download Slide Pack.

All the over 600 objections submitted to the council on the original plans - are still live objections. Objections are still open if you would like to add your voice. New Plans are downloadable in the Re-advertised June 2019 Section on the Council Web Page

An objection, in your own words, is most effective, and only needs to include your main reason/s for objecting.

There are a number of improvements to the design, including the look, using brick, and moving garbage +smaller truck loading/offloading underground. 

Still Bad :

1. Just too big to shoe-horn into a small heritage neighbourhood village shopping centre.
Then there are the practical downsides like overshadowing of neighbours and the public spaces.

2. We loose 7 retail shops in North Fitzroy Village. We loose three heritage shops, only keeping their facades.

3. Adds heavy vehicle and cars onto Scotchmer Street, in a pedestrian and cyclist heavy part of the shopping centre.

Moonlight 622-642 Nicholson Street - Approved

** 8 levels (30m) down from 10 storeys (~40m) **

Residents disappointed

The VCAT decision was in-line with the Council's position of a lower building height of 7 to 8 levels. 

The residents got some of what they wanted, but planning is the art of the merely "not unacceptable".

Basically imagine the top two floors missing and the grid a bit darker and you get the idea.

Residents who have to live with the result are naturally very disappointed VCAT did not decide the maximum height should be lower.

C231 Submissions are now Closed

Thanks so much to all who contributed

The depth of commitment to our neighbourhood is beautifully expressed in all the 378 submissions, available to be read at Bargoonga Nganjin - North Fitzroy Library.

Inspired by the turn-out of committed locals at the Queens Parade C231 Community Meeting, the National Trust and the Royal Victorian Historical Society also put in submissions.

Do yourself a favour and click on the Queens Parade Photo Tour. It was put together with love to play while people arrived at the meeting.

Many thanks to the 200+ hardy souls who attended the Community Meeting

The meeting went really well - other than the air-con deciding it was not going  to work. We all learnt alot. Special Thank-you to councillors Amanda Stone, Jackie Fristacky, Steve Jolly and Danae Bosler for attending, answering questions and even giving us a hand to try and get the air-con going.

Thank-you also to Candidates Kathleen Maltzahn (Greens) and Hershel Landes (Independent) who attended and addressed the meeting.

Thank-you to Daniel Epstein, our planning barrister for 26-56 who also spoke. He confirmed many a planning barrister's overseas holidays and mortgages were funded by long winded discussions on what "preferred" means. He suggested getting as many of the controls as possible expressed as mandatory - to give certainty and avoid trips to VCAT. 

Last but definitely not least, after a big week of preparation, a huge thank-you to all of you who magiced all the chairs away and the room back exactly how it was, when the meeting was over - just awesome :-)

We believe :

The heritage shopping strip of Queens Parade is of key social, cultural and economic significance to the residents of Clifton Hill, North Fitzroy and further afield. Its unique and irreplaceable heritage must remain the overwhelming impression on those who live, work and visit there.

Heights within the shopping strip must be in keeping with the existing heights and rooflines within the heritage precinct. The parapets and rooflines are significant to the heritage citation and should remain outlined against the sky.

Heights and massing on laneways must be managed so as to preserve and enhance the amenity of the spaces at the rear of heritage building - including in the laneways themselves.

Precinct laneways are narrow, unsuited for vehicular access. Avoid uses and inappropriate targeting of densities that would lead to such traffic in the first place. Walking and active transport should remain the priority in laneways.

Front and centre is the need to keep the centre as a functional bustling centre, so folks can continue to use walking or cycling to easily shop in Queens Parade.

Gasworks The Next Steps - Summary

The new portal for the Fitzroy Gasworks engagement is open : http://www.development.vic.gov.au/projects/fitzroy

Link to Video from Richard Wynne with even more on the Gasworks Project - includes some great historical shots

More Information on the Gasworks Page - accessible via the page menu above the banner.

Gasworks Decision Is In

Major Improvement on Original Proposal 

 10 Storey Maximum - 20% Affordable Housing  

The Minister's decision on the Gasworks site is "in". Mr Richard Wynne has announced a positive Gasworks outcome for the community. It includes a 10 storey maximum height. 20% affordable/social housing, a new combined Year 11&12 campus for Collingwood College and Fitzroy High, and an indoor sports stadium with community rooms.

The Development Victoria Project page Updated to reflect Minister Richard Wynne's decision is here http://www.development.vic.gov.au/projects/fitzroy

Collingwood and Fitzroy combine classes to offer The full range of VCE/VCAL Year 11 & 12 curriculum, but this currently means students often travel to classes at both campuses, on the same day. Having all classes on the same campus means more time learning and less time travelling, as well as freeing up space at Fitzroy and Collingwood for more students.

The community should be proud that their efforts appear to have had a very significant effect.

5 Storey street wall maximum along Smith St, 6 along Queens Parade and George St with 10 storey street wall permitted only along Alexander Parade.

There are also provisions, in line with community concerns and expert advice, to provide for sight lines through the site, a more human-scale experience within the site, break-up of outline in more distant views, and so on.

Issues with car parking provision have been taken on board, bike parking is now 2 spaces. Dwelling, sustainability and housing diversity are now more explicit in the controls. Parking, water, waste are required to be planned in an integrated way across the whole site etc.

It's an example of people getting involved in an official process and getting a much more positive outcome than was originally floated. Props to the panel members for being fair and thorough, and to the decision-maker(s) for taking broader concerns into account.

One thing a bit "hmm" is the section on social and affordable housing. The panel recommended this be a minimum of 15% in the control - agreed to by Yarra and DV. However, in the gazetted control the phrasing is "up to 20%", which seems odd, so is possibly a drafting error.

You can click thru to the approved planning controls downloaded here. 

Click thru to the state planning webpage with all the documents, including the GLSAC panel report. 

** Piedimontes Update **

520 Objections !!

Wow over 500 objections is a mighty statement on the proposed plans from the community.

Permit number: PLN17/068

 Extra big thank-you to Chris Sanders and Marion Marshall

Chris Sanders of Zen Folio photography http://christophersanders.zenfolio.com/, produced a range of brilliant pictures on a tight deadline to illustrate our case.

Marion Marshall, of Marion Marshall Studios http://www.marionmarshallstudios.com.au/, curated our wonderful book of images, referenced by the Protect Fitzroy North presenters.

Both Chris and Marion stepped up to produce just what was needed, to a really tight deadline, without any fuss at all, so thank-you for adding such a professional finish to our presentations.

The Panel acknowledged the strong community presence across the full 10 days of the completed hearing.

We are not expecting for a decision to be handed down before the end of October.

A Massive Thank-You to all who attended.

OUR COUNCIL HAS PRESENTED BRILLIANTLY

Our Resident presentations all went VERY weLL

Submissions were presented to the panel on Parking, Traffic, Planning, Heritage, Amenity, Neighbourhood Character, Net Community Benefit and Urban Design.

Here is a small sample of the 23 page Submission prepared and presented by the Neighbourhood Character Think Tank

The lack of empathy of the development proposal for the existing or preferred neighbourhood character demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of, and a lack of empathy for, the existing community in North Fitzroy.

It is an outward-facing neighbourhood, with a genuine and strong sense of openness and community that has a long history of banding together.

The residents of North Fitzroy generally enjoy small private open spaces, but are afforded the luxury of large, accommodating and welcoming public open spaces and it is in those public open spaces that locals relax, walk their dogs or congregate with their friends in the neighbourhood and visitors from all over Melbourne.

North Fitzroy is a neighbourhood rich in human interaction that has a true spirit of place, where a diverse range of people come together to engage in all manner of activities.

The design of the development is inherently inwards looking.

In particular, the townhouses around parts of the boundary of the site open inwards rather than onto the street.

This is in sharp contrast to the neighbourhood more generally, where houses have small front yards and generally present an open face to others who live in and visit the area.

We query where the opportunities are for residents of this development to interact “by chance” with their community, in the context of a design that offers little in the way of interaction with the wider community.

Other than a small section of the Queens Parade edge of the development, close to the commercial premises, it is closed to all but those who live there, and will present a blank face to the broader community in which it sits.

When our community stands as one we Are mighty

New Plans - New Architect - Same Problem

** STILL TOO BIG ** Our Councillors agree **

Newsflash from IDAC - Yarra councillors unanimously to_reject_ the revised plans for 26-56 Queens Parade.

A Massive Thank-you to each and every one who made  the treck to Richmond Town Hall.

It was a marathon sitting, and the developer was there to see the communities commitment in person. 

Yarra council to stand shoulder to shoulder with residents at VCAT. It's worth noting and commending the amazing focus the Yarra councillors have given appropriate development of this precinct - a series of council actions and votes have occurred to get us to this point and at every single one the councillors have supported and worked hard for their community.

Thanks particularly to Councillors Misha Coleman, Danae Bosler and Daniel Nguyen for officiating at a particularly challenging IDAC meeting.

Councillors, council officers and residents alike all had the stresses of shortened timeframes to meet the VCAT schedule. On the upside, there is now sufficient time between now and VCAT for Yarra to prepare an effective case.

Community concern has been been expressed in the heartfelt efforts of over 470 objectors.

Over 98 paid up personally to stand before VCAT in support of retaining neighbourhood character and amenity.

The picture below is the South Elevation from the plans supplied to VCAT. A red line is added to highlight the outline of the whole building proposed, as only the front section of three of the towers has been drawn in with any detail.

The link to the VCAT Substituted Plans July 2017 are on the council website, link is below.

When our community stands as one we are Mighty

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS 

The Lord Newry Hotel            243 Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy   http://www.lordnewryhotel.com.au/

North Fitzroy Arms Hotel      296 Rae St, Fitzroy North                          http://www.northfitzroyarms.com.au/