A random comment I heard on Monday night about high rise, medium rise (whatever you want to call it) is the most saleable properties that such development provides that are those properties with “open space at their doorstep”.
Yes open space at their door step. The opportunity for their kids, their dogs, their cats to step outside and be in open space immediately.
This is probably the most salient comment I have heard that goes to the heart of ensuring our zoning policies are correct for the given area. It reinforces my oft stated belief that DPA2, at least for the Goodwood South Ward is flawed. Not only is there no green space at their door step occupants of homes in this area would have to go out of their way to find the green space.
Such densification is possible having said that in Unley but the locations are few and far between. As I have been saying to a few people I have conversed with recently there is opportunity in the centre of the City of Unley.
There are opportunities in and around the Unley Shopping Centre and the Civic Centre that can provide significantly to the State Governments population projections.
There are properties in these areas large enough already to provide the height of 5, 7, maybe even 10 storeys without significantly impacting on the surrounding residential properties. Properties large enough to provide or adjacent already established green open space to make them attractive to developers.
And these locations are within walking distance to the shops, the community centre, the library, to the Unley Oval, the memorial gardens.
The impediment as we speak is our planning regulations do not encourage residential in these locations.
So let us as a Council look at a development plan amendment that facilitates achievable and sustainable growth in this area rather than focus on trying to cram more people into areas that do not provide this amenity, and have little or no chance of providing this amenity.
And as we are doing this what if we can encourage the growth of entertainment into this same area, making multi storey living an attractive proposition because all you need is at your “door step”. That means the green space for your kids and dogs, entertainment (whether a cinema, or indoor pool, gym, basketball etc or all or the above), retail ad grocery shopping, medical services etc etc etc
I am currently pushing for and will do so if still on Council come November for us to prepare a development plan amendment (DPA) for the “Unley Central” area. This is in lieu of making the mistake of creating ghettos in the 4 corners of the Cities area, areas already of comparative high population without open space or ready access to services as is possible in “Unley Central”.
Council has been working on concepts for this area for some years now and we should therefore have the necessary information on hand to easily produce a DPA that can accommodate the concepts. This will allow provide an ideal opportunity for the community to see what we have been looking at and contribute to the process. It should also demonstrate to the Minister for Planning that we are serious about achieving the goals he has set for us but with reasoned solutions.
Council has been working on concepts for this area for some years now and we should therefore have the necessary information on hand to easily produce a DPA that can accommodate the concepts. This will allow provide an ideal opportunity for the community to see what we have been looking at and contribute to the process. It should also demonstrate to the Minister for Planning that we are serious about achieving the goals he has set for us but with reasoned solutions.
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