By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THE former Springvale depot site has been earmarked for sale as a “high quality residential project” to help fund the council’s civic masterplan for the suburb.
Last month, the council approved the draft tender criteria for the 20,000 square-metre site at 32-40 View Road.
Its sale is expected to substantially fund the council’s $25 million Springvale civic masterplan for a neighbouring site including the library and the council’s former administrative buildings.
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said the draft tender’s broad criteria, which includes aged care, townhouses, low-rise apartments, dwellings, a nursing home or a combination of the above, was not in Springvale’s “best interest”.
“By not putting a caveat as part of the tender criteria any bidder… can then on-sell it to a developer who may want to develop something differently entirely like a large block of three-to-four-storey apartments.”
He said a retirement home on part of the land would be ideal.
Its residents would be eager to use nearby community facilities
Paul Kearsley, the council’s business group manager, told a council meeting last month that more specific criteria would restrict the number of interested parties and the council’s asking price for the land.
He said if the land was on-sold, the new purchaser’s use of the site would still be subject to planning permit approval by the council.
Cr Peter Brown said it would be unfair for the council to impose a “grand vision” on any developer.
“I think it should be sold to the highest and best use.
“It is not fair for us to have our cake and eat it too.”
He said the council needed to make as much money as possible from the sale to help fund the civic masterplan.
