Development news from Doncaster Hill

Development news from Doncaster Hill
Mark BaljakAugust 2, 2013

Recently Manningham City Council handed down a decision rejecting a proposed mixed-use development located at 602-630 Doncaster Road, Doncaster. The prominent corner site opposite Westfield Doncaster was to have taken a large mixed-use development designed by ITN Architects on behalf of Jaksal Pty Ltd. In its rejected form the development was to have incorporated 267 apartments over nine levels, three levels of commercial space and 565 underground car parking bays in a tower that would have reached near 41m in height. The structure would have been capped with a suspension cable artwork seemingly floating between either wing of the tower.

76 objections to the application were received, 54 of which were ridiculously attributed the neighbouring apaprtment blocks occupants bemoaning the loss of views. Doncaster Hill has been earmarked as a highrise, high density precinct for the best part of a decade so loss of views was to be expected over many developments. Ultimately views are a privilege, not a right! Where have I heard that before? For the record, separation between both towers living spaces was to be 17m, well above the minimum 9m requirement. Of more concern to Manningham was the 7.5m separation between either wing of the intended development.

Regardless VicRoads and Public Transport Victoria also found grounds for objection. In its ruling Manningham cited 18 varying concerns which led to its decision, leaving the developer/architects with options such as VCAT, a redesign or scrapping the development at their disposal.

Development news from Doncaster Hill

Directly west of 602-630 Doncaster Road lies another intended development, 101-105 Tram Road, Doncaster. Put forward by Dong Chen Trading and Investments (Australia) via Meinhardt Group, the Peddle Thorp designed scheme has gained a notice of decision to grant a permit, essentially winning approval. The Peddle Thorp scheme involves a 13 storey tower containing 201 apartments, 245 underground car spaces and three commercial tenancies.

Generally complying with the Manningham Planning Scheme, the 39m high proposal attracted only one objection. Manningham asserted  "The proposed building is attractive and assertive in appearance, thus providing a landmark statement to this important gateway intersection. It also scales appropriately to the surrounding development." A design feature of the proposal is an eight level atrium with a southern boundary atrium (seen below) which provides both external views and natural light penetration. Final approval is pending.


Development news from Doncaster Hill

Further up the Hill the on-again. off-again Crowne Plaza Hotel championed by developer Ron Di Pietro has finally been buried. The complex was to have included 181 hotel rooms and 16 serviced apartments over nine levels with three basement levels under a permit that expires in a few months time.

The permit has been superseded by an application which seeks a ten level residential development containing 203 apartments and 258 below ground car spaces with retail/commercial present over the ground floor. Once more, a notice of decision to grant a permit has been given by Manningham meaning a final permit for the Point Architects designed complex is pending.


Development news from Doncaster Hill

Mark Baljak

Mark Baljak was a co-founder of Urban.com.au. He passed away on Thursday 8th of November 2018 after a battle with cancer. He was 37. Mark was a keen traveller, having visited all six permanently-inhabited continents and had a love of craft beer. One of his biggest passions was observing the change that has occurred in Melbourne over the past two decades. In that time he built an enormous library of photos, all taken by him, which tracked the progress of construction on building sites from across metropolitan Melbourne.

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