GERA has recently been asked by some McKinnon Residents to assist them in reviewing a proposed Planning Scheme Amendment (C143) and Design and Development Overlay – Schedule 6 (DDO6) for a large development site located on the south and western edge of McKinnon Village Neighbourhood Centre. While the residents accept that their Village area will change, they do not believe that the currently proposed Mix Use Zoning is appropriate for the stand alone site.
The residents are seeking community support in objecting to the proposed Amendment and DDO. – the objection due date is 23/12/2016. Check out their website – Save McKinnon Village.
The residents are requesting that, in the New Year and after January’s Planning Conference, Council re-assesses the Development Proposal with a view to abandoning Amendment C143 and DDO6 and enabling resident input into decisions related to
- Appropriate Re-zoning
- Appropriate height and setback (below and above ground) provisions
SITE DETAILS
- 88-100 McKinnon Road, McKinnon. Located on the corner of Wheatley and McKinnon Roads.
- Area = 3671 sqm
- 430 metres to the McKinnon train station
- A Special Building Overlay (ie. area prone storm water run-off and flooding) is applicable to site.
- Current site zoning is Industrial (INZ3), which prohibits residential development.
- Adjoining Zones are GRZ3 (General Residential Zone – 10.5m, 3 stories) & NRZ1 (Neighbourhood Residential – 8m, 2 stories)
- A narrow right of way (laneway) exists at the rear of the site.
McKinnon Village Current Planning Zones & Heights
PROPOSED CHANGES – Planning Scheme Amendment C143 and Design Development Overlay Schedule 6
- Proposed Mixed Use Zone (MUZ) which allows commercial, retail, industrial and residential usage as a right (ie. no planning permit required, therefore, no third party objection rights). “Allowed as a right usages” include businesses with extended trading hours (eg. Convenience Mini-Marts and Takeouts, Food and Drink services).
- A maximum building height of (14.5 metres – 4 stories)
- Setbacks
- Rear Set back only – 4 metres from property boundary, applicable set backs increase as building height increases
- No side or street front setbacks at ground level or as building height increases.
RESIDENTS GROUNDS FOR OBJECTION
- MUZ is not an appropriate zoning for a village or neighbourhood centre due to the adverse amenity impacts generated by
- Noise arising from the allowed uses and extended trading hours
- increased traffic volumes
- increased parking demand
- In addition to the above adverse amenity impacts, the site’s location within the McKinnon Village makes the proposed MUZ zoning inappropriate, as it is located
- on edge of the designated neighbourhood centre rather than in the village centre. It is a stand- alone location separated from the village hub by residential zones
- well away from the Village’s Commercial Zones and their
- facilities (eg. parking, train station)
- complementary businesses
- “buffering” effect on noise impacting the residential zones
- surrounded by residential zones (GRZ and NRZ) with limited on street parking surrounding the site due to road configuration.
- is not readily accessible to the majority of village residents
- The proposed height limit of 14.5m/4 stories is
- contrary to the designation of McKinnon Village as a Neighbourhood Centre and the 2013 Zone Implementation that implemented a 10.5m/3storey height limit on residential zones within Neighbourhood Centres
- inconsistent with the concept of scaling down building heights from the Village centre towards the Neighbourhood Residential Zone. In this case, from the Village’s Commercial Zone (no height limit) there is a height limit of 3 stories which then rises to 4 stories on the southern and western boundary of the Neighbourhood Residential Zone
- The absence of above and below ground street front and side setbacks
- restricts ground absorption of storm water runoff (a Special Building Overlay applies to the site)
- restricts landscaping opportunities
- will result in visual bulk and dominance and overshadowing
- There are no Neighbourhood Character requirements specified in the Amendment or DDO or Glen Eira’s Housing Diversity Policy. There should be as McKinnon Village has a distinct and unique character.
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Council has advised that a Planning Conference will be scheduled in the New Year and that Council will decide on the proposed Amendment and DDO at it’s February Council Meeting. In the intervening period the objection due date is 23/12/2016 and there’s the busy Christmas/New Year holiday period to consider – timing doesn’t favour the residents.
GERA encourages our members and readers to submit an objection to the proposal – numbers count!!!. A sample objection letter is available on the Save McKinnon Village website.
Glen Eira Residents' Association Inc 