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Darebin Appropriate Development Association

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Preston Market

People for Preston Market

We live here, we shop here and we vote here!

Vision

Preston Market is a unique and treasured place in our community. It has long been a spot where people from Melbourne’s north gather for the pleasures of shopping and eating, a place to enjoy chance encounters with friends and neighbours. It’s looking a little tired and worn but last month’s proposal to build it up to 28 storeys is way over the top. We would like to see the market grow into a vibrant community hub where people come together – not a soul-less windswept shadowland that we avoid. Redevelopment is an opportunity to make Preston Market a showcase site for Darebin – a community space that will attract people from all over Melbourne and beyond. We can make it a meeting place we can be proud of that reflects what we love about our neighbourhood:¬ diversity, inclusiveness, vibrancy, colour and movement.

Who are we?

People for Preston Market is a group of Darebin residents concerned about the plan to increase the building height of the market to 28 storeys – that’s more than 100m!

Membership of the group is open. To join us contact Jim Buckell at jimbuckell@gmail.com or 0415 490 366.

We plan to meet before council meetings (every second Monday) until further notice to lobby councillors and put our ideas on the table.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/554340934669993/

Background on the developer’s proposal

The application to Darebin Council by the market owner Salta Properties to increase the permitted height of buildings under the planning schedule from 10 to 28 storeys was tabled at council on June 16 2014. Council is expected to consider the application soon, probably in August, when it will open a consultation period for submissions. Details of the Salta proposal can be found in the council minutes here (scroll to page 35).

The proposal includes two large footprints of 28 storeys (about 113 metres) taking up the majority of the site. See image below:

NB: This is not a development application. It is the first step towards a detailed development proposal.

What we would like to see

At our first meeting we set three aims:

1. Keep the existing height limit
To oppose any increase in the existing height limit of 10 storeys. This is three storeys higher than the tallest building in Preston, Bell City on Bell St at the corner of Hotham St at South Preston.

2. To develop and promote our own vision for the market
A place where people in our diverse community can gather for shopping, meeting, for eating and drinking with welcoming, inclusive and accessible facilities including:

  • A market which strengthens and amplifies all the good aspects of the existing space, with ample space for stallholders, shoppers, communal eating and meetings places
  • Green space (critically important with the shift to more medium-density housing)
  • A commitment to sustainability and renewable energy built into the proposal (ie solar panels on the roof like South Melbourne market; rainwater collection; and waste minimisation)
  • Formal and informal meeting places including a neighbourhood centre
  • Play areas for children
  • Performance and art spaces
  • Space for small and micro-businesses to operate
  • Open space such as a plaza
  • Any proposal for residential units to include social housing to protect our diverse community

3. To work with council and other agencies on a visionary market development:
As Preston Market is a unique and treasured place in our community, we would like Council and government agencies to work with all stakeholders ¬– the community, the market traders and the developers ¬– on the development of the site. We would like to take the opportunity of a development proposal to make Preston Market a showcase site for Darebin, a place that will attract people from all over Melbourne, a meeting place we can be proud of that reflects what we love about our neighbourhood. True, the market is looking a bit tired and worn. We’ve been hearing about the idea to transform Preston Central for almost a decade now, and it’s overdue. But we don’t want to risk it becoming a windswept shadowland. We would like to see the market grow into a diverse, vibrant and colourful community hub where people gather to enjoy the pleasures of shopping, food and meeting others. To achieve this, we would like council to consider the following:

• Extending the usual one-month consultation period to six months to consider the application by the developers
• Developing an extensive community consultation program to canvas all stakeholders: residents; shoppers; traders; nearby businesses and workers; commuters; and the developer
• Engage the expertise of experienced placemakers and community planners to assist in this process

Founding members:

Jim Buckell
Thornbury
0415 490 366

Mark Tregonning
Preston
0421 335 775

To join us contact Jim Buckell at: jimbuckell@gmail.com or 0415 490 366

  • release-people-for-preston-market (DOCX)

Meeting Notes: July 9, 2014

Dear DADA folk,

We met last week and mostly discussed the new development proposals for Preston Market. The notes are attached.

On Monday night, I met with a group, People for Preston Market,  to discuss how we can have a say in what is built on that site.

We could agree that we did not want to see 2 x 28 story buildings taking up most of the current market precinct and that we, like many of you want to see the soul of the market maintained.

What is important to the ‘soul’ of Preston Market, that thing we want most to preserve?  Please send me you ideas.

Happy reading!

Cheers,

Maria

DADA


Meeting Notes: July 9, 2014

Present: Stuart Midgley, Marion Coffey, Keith Coffey, Craig Walters, Chris Erlandson, Maria Poletti, Apologies: Sally Mendes, Laara Eames, James Dodson, Nola Martin

1. Business Arising:
a. Ask for a report of the expenditure of the developers contribution levy.
Action: Bo will ask a question at council.
b. Action: Craig, Robin Scott letter to ask question in parliament.
c. Action: Reminder to push for a much better planning register. When budget time comes up we should go in and bat on behalf of the planning department.
d. Darebin Planning Dept‟s proposed Governance Charter.
Action: for Maria to follow up on research.
e. Trees, signs on trees in Carlton gardens showing their cost value over life-time,
Action: Maria to do same for street trees. Done but not hung.
f. Sending Robin Scott the panel submissions for information. Action: Maria

2. New Business:
a. Preston Market redevelopment: invitation to a meeting on Monday night with Mark Tregonning
and Jim Buckell who are concerned about the 28 storey‟s. Documents indicate concepts of over-development and super-development. Misleading statements about these super developments taking the pressure off development in the suburban streets. Noted that this development was not mentioned in any way at the Planning Panels Victoria hearings. Parking and congestion problems, especially on the supermarket side with the new development there. What we need is a master plan rather than seeing these developments in separate bits. Action: Maria to attend meeting and bring back information.
b. New Zoning wash-up: Darebin will have a direct translation from old to new which will amount to approx 30% NRZ as long as the caveated land is protected. If not probably approx 15% NRZ.
Action: Follow up on the Planning Panels Victoria and Standing Committee reports. Go to council meeting, and ask a question, 21st of July. Chris, Craig and Keith to formulate and put question.

3. Correspondence:
a. Reply from Mayor regarding our meeting on planning committee governance (see attachment)
b. Kelvin Thompson: application form for membership to Victoria First and copy of speech “Must Melbourne Keep Growing?” No action.

4. Council Report:
a. Council Meeting 16th of June, Item 903 amendments regarding participation in the standing committee on zoning. Also amendments on the Preston Market redevelopment.

5. Other:
a. Concern again about the removal of asbestos without the proper precautions, in houses being demolished.

6. Press:
a. Age article on new zones, emailed to contact list
b. Age: Re Preston Market redevelopment
c. The Leader: Preston Market redevelopment: Tuesday July 8th

7. Objector Updates:
a. 22 Sylvester Grove, Preston, granted by council, no further action.
b. On Plenty Road a new development with no little parking opposite Rene Street.
c. New development, overdevelopment, of old target site at Summerhill.
d. Gregory Grove, poring slab on what looks like a 3 dwelling development.
e. Darebin Boulevard: questions asked about concrete slabs against trees that were supposed to be protected.

8. Strategy Ideas;
a. Presenting Council with a bill for work done by objectors that should have been covered by
planning department
b. DADA awards for the „best‟ Darebin planning decisions, the Golden Guy award for development
monstrosities in Darebin 2014. Start collecting photos of nominations now.
c. Suggest we start thinking strategically about the state election and making links with the ALP shadow planning spokes person Tees.

9. Next Meeting:

7.00pm, Wednesday, August 13th at 33 Dean Street, Preston | Post

  • 20140709-DADA-notes