Plans to demolish Pakington St cottage

A white cottage, located in the heart of Pakington St, could be demolished to make way for a new $1.2m development.

A planning application has been submitted for construction of two shops and one dwelling at a cottage at 359 Pakington Street, in Newtown. Picture: Alan Barber

A weatherboard cottage along Pakington St, which most recently housed a taco shop, could be demolished to make way for a $1.2m multistorey development.

The property, located in the heart of the street’s Newtown retail precinct, housed brunch hotspots The Cottage and Picket Fence before being replaced by Melbourne Mexican restaurant Bobby Dre’s in late 2020.

The restaurant is now permanently closed, with the site listed for lease through Buxton real estate.

It is located next to two retails premises and is zoned for commercial use.

A new application, submitted to the City of Greater Geelong by Tony Preiato & Associates, details plans to demolish the cottage and replace it with a new building which could include two shops and one dwelling.

Picket Fence was previously located at the cottage. Picture: Peter Ristevski

It’s proposed the ground floor of the building would be divided down the middle, to accommodate two shops, with one apartment located on the second level.

The apartment would include three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a powder room, a theatre room, study, an open plan kitchen and living area and a courtyard and balconies.

Parking and garage spaces would be located at the back of the property.

The building would be of “modern design”, with the exterior a combination of fibre cement, Colorbond and natural timbers.

According to the plans the site is located within an established commercial area of Pakington St with the primary frontage facing that street.

The property previously housed brunch hotspot The Cottage. Picture- Nicole Cleary

“It is noted that directly west of the site is land zoned and developed for residential purposes, and as such, the development has appropriately addressed the rear residential interface by providing building articulation, glazing opportunity (which addresses massing and bulk) and light weight external building materials which reflects the existing western facades of

commercial developments adjoining the subject sites,” the report noted.

The planning application is open for public comment, with no decision expected to be made until July 6.

Originally published as Plans to demolish Pakington St cottage