Controversial structure plan approved amid fears it will lead to Great Wall of Frankston
Frankston Council says its new plan will entice more people to live, work and play in the area. But some fear it will encourage more high rises and create a “Great Wall of Frankston”.
South East
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A 20-year vision to revitalise a once infamous Melbourne suburb has been approved amid fears it will lead to a string of high rise apartment towers — dubbed The Great Wall of Frankston — blocking bayside views.
Frankston Council has voted in favour of a structure plan for its city centre and foreshore which included transforming Nepean Highway into a boulevard with extended outdoor dining and retail and a world-class visitor lookout at Olivers Hill.
Kananook Creek Boulevard between Beach and Wells streets would be upgraded to make the waterway more accessible and create a promenade for outdoor dining and events.
However, objectors to the plan fear it would be “disastrous” for the creek and turn Frankston into a “cool climate Surfers Paradise”.
Mayor Nathan Conroy said the Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre Structure Plan was essential to attract investors and development to the municipality.
“It provides critical clear direction on land uses, building design, housing and accommodation, and provides more employment opportunities through new development and redevelopment,” he said.
“It also means more vibrant public spaces, a more pedestrian-focused city centre and more people living, working and playing in our city centre.”
Cr Kris Bolam said a current lack of private development was “the reason why the present state of Frankston town centre is so dire”.
“Frankston is capable of so much more and we want decent people, everyday people to live work and play in Frankston and in order to achieve this we need investment.”
The plan has been in the making for two years and objectors recently launched a campaign calling for it to include mandatory height limits in the foreshore precinct.
They feared without strict controls a string of high rise apartment towers along the beach side of Nepean Highway would create a Great Wall of Frankston.
The group has gathered close to 50000 signatures calling for mandatory height limits.
Kananook Creek Association president Rob Thurley said the group was not against low rise apartment buildings facing the creek.
“The original plan for Frankston, put in place in 2005, set height limits of four storeys. Now we have a plan with preferred limits of 41m,” Mr Thurley said.
He said the plan “had no teeth” and developers would be able to use the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to win the right to build even higher.
Cr Bolam slammed the claims that the structure plan would lead to a Great Wall of Frankston.
“There’s been a debate where there’s been an unfounded sense of hysteria that has sought to play to some people’s greatest fears,” he said.
“Most heinous in my view was the visual depiction of Frankston foreshore littered with a conga line of computer generated hi rise buildings. That is not the case.”
The FMAC Structure Plan would now be sent to Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny for final approval.