156-room luxury hotel in South Yarra approved despite no parking
Plans for a 10-storey hotel with restaurant, bar and function centre in South Yarra has been given the green light - even though it has zero parking.
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A 10-storey hotel with restaurant, bar and function centre but no onsite parking has been given the green light for development in central South Yarra.
The 156-room luxury hotel, which was knocked back by Stonnington Council and opposed by Melbourne Water because of its flood zone risk has been given the go-ahead by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Set to be built in River St near Toorak Rd, the development was also objected to by homeowners who feared it would overshadow their properties, be noisy and reduce the liveability of the area.
The proposed “slab-like” hotel was almost double the preferred maximum height of 18m - or five storeys - where it fronted River St, before stepping down to two storeys near Tivoli Rd, and had no onsite parking, VCAT heard.
But the tribunal said it was comfortable with the lack of parking, “given there are a number of 24-hour carparking facilities in the area convenient to the hotel site or by a valet service”.
“We also acknowledge the availability of alternative transport to the site via rail and tram and its accessibility by taxi or other transport operators,” it ruled.
However, VCAT said the hotel should have agreements in place with external car park operators.
“(But) we do not think it is necessary to require that these agreements be for leased spaces, as put forward by the Council …,” it adds.
In granting a permit, VCAT ordered a number of modifications to the hotel’s original plans and attached a list of conditions, including measures designed to reduce noise from the function centre and the impact of the hotel business on neighbours.
“Overall, we are satisfied that the amenity of residential areas has been or can be addressed through the design in conjunction with appropriate permit conditions that will manage amplified music levels,” the tribunal says.
“We consider that the design layout directs patron noise away from the residential areas, and that patron behaviour can be managed to reduce impacts to local residents and guests of the hotel. We have included requirements in the permit conditions to ensure this will occur.”
Melbourne Water has also imposed conditions, many relating to the Prahran Main Drain, which the hotel will be built over.
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The tribunal agreed with the proponents – known as No. 8 River Street Pty Ltd – that the hotel’s entertainment and meeting facilities could create jobs and have other benefits, including boosting local retail and hospitality businesses.
Flood experts had given evidence showing “the exposure of property and people to the flood hazards maybe managed to reduce the risk to acceptable levels”.
VCAT said a permit for development of the land at 2–10 River St, South Yarra permitted building of “a residential hotel in an Activity Centre Zone and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay, with associated reduction in carparking and reduction in the bicycle parking requirement”.