City aims high with draft plan

Proposed development limits open for public comment.

Up to 1400 new apartments are envisaged in central Frankston under the city’s structure plan.
Frankston councilors voted recently to release the draft structure plan – which also outlines preferred height limits predominantly for the CBD area – for public comment.

Preferred height limits:
* Nepean/Kananook Creek precinct – maximum 38m (11 – 12 storey’s) and 32m (9 – 10 storey’s) north of Wells St
* CBD retail precinct – maximum 32m
* Civic precinct including the council offices and Frankston Arts Centre – maximum 38m
* Fletcher Rd precinct including the courts and police station – maximum 26m
* Ebdale precinct (primarily residential to the north of the CBD) – up to 12m
* Eastern precinct near Chisholm – maximum 12 – 14m predominantly along main arterial roads with 9m in the residential area
* Southern precinct (near Beauty Park and Frankston Dolphins oval) – up to 9m
* Frankston Train Station precinct – maximum 44m (14-15 storeys)

The council is keen to look at the potential for multi-deck car parking, units, offices and retail above the train station.

Cr Darrel Taylor said the structure plan “provides certainty in the planning scheme for when applications come to us”

But Cr Glenn Aitken said people were attracted to green spaces and not sky scrapers. Cr Aitken described the structure plans as a failure that would “pave the way for urban mediocrity into the future”.

Cr James Dooley said the council should reject the plan and instead ask planning Minister Matthew Guy to set height controls.

But Cr Taylor said the structure plan would ensure planning certainty. “I don’t want to see the Gold Coast in Frankston” Cr Taylor said. “We have to have a discussion about what is responsible development”.

Residents have to August 9 to make submissions on the structure plan. Council officers will then submit another report to councilors.

Source – The Leader