By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A plan to allow towers up to eight storeys in Noble Park’s “village” business district has been put on hold.
The proposed Noble Park Major Activity Centre Structure Plan would allow eight-storey buildings at eight key redevelopment sites.
They included a “landmark” gateway development at the Coles site, a site opposite the train station on Douglas Street and the Noble Park RSL site.
City planning director Jody Bosman told a council meeting on 10 August there was currently no height limits in the area.
The plan was needed to give “clear guidance” on preferred height, setbacks and building design – particularly with the elevation of the rail corridor, a council report stated.
The report also recognised the predominantly “low rise” “village character” of one to two storeys.
“However, the construction of the Noble Park Train Station (at 20 metres/six storeys) has made this the focal point for the centre.
“Well-designed taller buildings can contribute to the ‘village’ feel of the centre.”
It argued that an “increase in density is both expected and supported” in the designated Major Activity Centre.
“Supporting greater heights on larger sites across the centre (which include the eight key redevelopment sites) allow for more moderate or low changes (heights) across the rest of the centre.”
It also proposed to rezone 10 residential sites to commercial use.
The structure plan’s key outcomes included building a “strong sense of arrival” into the area.
The removal of the Heatherton Road/Douglas Street roundabout received highly positive feedback, the report stated.
The plan would also identify ‘pedestrian-oriented’ and landscaped streets and preserve “key view lines” into the centre.
Twenty-six submissions from 24 people were received during an “extensive” community consultation period in April-June, according to the report.
It included a mailout to 1200 owners and occupiers within and adjoining the centre.
Resident Gaye Guest said the online survey was “structured to give the answers the officers want to support their designs”.
“In the online survey nowhere was there a place to voice our disappointment against high-rise development in a suburban setting or to oppose rezoning residential land to commercial.”
Cr Peter Brown successfully moved for the plan to be deferred for consideration until February 2021.
He said there was no need to “rush through” a highly significant report brought to councillors at “short notice”. There had been “almost no debate” on the plan for the past six months, he said.
“I’d be surprised if local residents would be aware of what’s being proposed, much less be happy with what’s being proposed.
“From my reading of the economy there won’t be too many people putting in applications for eight-storey buildings.”
In opposition to the deferral, Cr Sean O’Reilly called for no further delays to a plan three years in the making.
“We’ll kick the can down the road again. There’s nothing to stop a developer building a Taj Mahal right in the middle of Noble Park.”
