‘Piecemeal’ Patterson Lakes marina project threatens much-loved pub

The future of a popular pub at Patterson Lakes marina is threatened by a sprawling new complex. But locals, with the backing of the Melbourne Racing Club are preparing for a VCAT showdown in a bid to stop it.

The Cove Hotel, Patterson Lakes

A much-loved pub could be forced to close its doors as a planned huge development swallows up its carpark.

Three buildings — two 10-storeys high — will circle the Cove Hotel and sit atop 100 car spots if the highly controversial Endeavour Cove development at Patterson Lakes goes ahead as planned.

In May Kingston councillors refused a permit application from developer Cavendish Properties to reduce the number of car parks at the precinct from 837 to 391, which Cavendish will fight at VCAT.

Melbourne Racing Club, which leases the hotel, has confirmed they object to the development and will attend the October 21 VCAT hearing.

“The MRC has concerns on the expected impact the proposed development will have on parking and traffic arrangements for the Cove Hotel and surrounding area,” a spokesman said.

“The club has objected to the planning application.”

The Cove Hotel Patterson Lakes. Credit: Cameron Howe

Cavendish’s plan for 236 new dwellings at Patterson River marina area — on 54-64 Pier One Drive and 115A McLeod Rd — has faced fierce public backlash and been plagued by delays and criticism of unfair practice.

Carrum Patterson Lakes Forum founder and resident Cameron Howe described it as a “shambolic, piecemeal” project and said council “deliberately withheld” paperwork on the buildings’ sizes from locals for more than a year, leaving them unable to make informed objections to the plan.

Residents have said in a meeting with a council planning manager last year, documents were shown to them but were not provided for viewing afterwards as promised.

They said a non-legible version of the plan appeared in the May 22 agenda, and they have been unable to access key documents since.

Residents in Patterson Lakes are furious over The Cove's carpark reduction. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Mr Howe said Melbourne Racing Club supplied residents with a copy of the plan showing discrepancies between what was permitted and approved.

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“(The documents) showed the 10 storey tower replacing the hard stack boat storage is five storeys taller than permitted by the Endeavour Cove Comprehensive Development Plan 1999, and the five storey building located on the hotel’s car park is three storeys higher than the allowed maximum,” Mr Howe said.

He said areas reserved specifically for carparking on the plans have been built on, and locals were “feeling ignored and exasperated” after documents were only made available one month before the hearing.

But Kingston Council said it was waiting for the developer’s approval before showing them.

Planning and Development general manager Jonathan Guttmann said some of the

documents relating to the area date back more than 20 years old and were difficult to locate.

“But Council has made them available and invites community objectors to inspect them to help prepare for the VCAT hearing,” he said.

“Council has refused the application for reduction in parking and will contest the matter along with a number of community objectors.”

The developments are set to tower around the Cove Hotel.

In another hiccup for the troubled development, a recent EPA investigation confirmed suspicions a number of contaminated fuel tanks, dug up by the developer in June last year to make space for parking, had contaminated the ground.

However, spillage form the tanks, which were removed with a 30 tonne crane, was confined to one site.

EPA Manager Southern Metro Region Marleen Mathias said the developer has been ordered to clean-up the area and the EPA would work with the council to ensure appropriate controls are in place to manage the work.

Leader contacted Cavendish Properties and Cove Hotel for comment.