Piedimonte's Supermarket Fitzroy North Village mega-development rejected by Yarra councillors
A controversial plan to transform Piedimonte's Supermarket in Fitzroy North into a seven-storey complex including scores of apartments has been knocked back, following a record number of objections. But all may not be lost for the owners.
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Piedimonte's Supermarket’s planned mega retail and residential redevelopment in the heart of Fitzroy North has been knocked back.
Piedimonte's wanted to transform its Best St site into a seven-storey complex with 66 apartments, a three-level underground carpark, a refurbished supermarket, a rooftop terrace, a cafe and a bottle shop.
However, the plan was outright rejected by councillors at a special Yarra Council meeting held remotely last night.
Councillors were expected to debate the controversial development but a surprise motion put forward by Nicholls Ward councillor Bridgid O’Brien to refuse the application was voted in 7-2.
Mayor Misha Coleman said the decision was based on several factors including the scale of the development and the net value it brought to the community.
She also said the proposed development was “judged as not responding to the character of the Fitzroy North Village”.
“This is the second version (of the proposed development) and it was a lot better than the first and I hope that they have another go at getting a better outcome,” Cr Coleman said.
“This is not a decision about Piedimonte's versus the community, they are so much a part of the community, we want them to stay because they provide so much to the community.
“I’d like to see a design that works for the whole community.”
Fitzroy North Residents Action Group, which spearheaded a grassroots campaign to block the development as it stood, welcomed the decision.
“The decision shows that council listened to the community who expressed significant concerns with a record number of objections,” an unnamed spokesman said.
“(Our) hope is for future developments to occur at a scale and pace that creates a net community benefit by meeting both commercial and residential interests.”
The group said it wasn’t opposed to Piedimonte's redeveloping with revised plans.
But it expects Piedimonte's owners will head to Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The rejected development would have swallowed all real estate within the Best, Scotchmer and Egremont streets boundary.
A council-owned laneway between Best and Egremont streets would have fallen into Piedimonte's hands under the plans.
Yarra Council received more than 600 objections to the project – believed to be a record -compared with eight submissions in support.
The objections include concerns about excessive height, extreme scale and density, loss of commercial diversity and “inappropriate precedent setting”.
Councillors were to debate the proposal in front of a “sellout crowd” at Fitzroy Town Hall in March but the meeting was cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.
More than 200 extra objections have flowed in since then.
Piedimonte's was contacted for comment.
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