FRANKSTON Council has given the go ahead to another key part of its major foreshore development plan – a new building to house Frankston Yacht Club, a cafe and a restaurant.
The three-storey building bringing more commercial development to the Waterfront “precinct” near the pier is being allowed with reduced car parking requirements and despite being identified as “not wholly consistent with the purpose” of the use of Crown land.
It was “considered unlikely to impact adversely on any protected vegetation”.
Objectors claim photos used to justify clearing represented “the least quality vegetation”, although this was denied by consultants hired by council.
“Reasonable” is a word used throughout an officer’s report recommending council approve the yacht club project.
While not resulting in “a proliferation of buildings” the development “advance objectives to facilitate business, employment, tourism, and a vibrant and safe waterfront”.
Sandwiched between the beach and Kananook Creek plans for the new building will be on public exhibition before construction begins.
The existing yacht club and nearby toilet block will be demolished.
“It is considered the building form, floor layout and design detail of the proposal displays a high quality design response, flair and attention to detail,” the report given to councillors on 3 March stated.
“The location of the cafe and restaurant to the south-west corner of the building and wide terraces offer dining views to the wider community, present an active interface and provides passive surveillance over the creek and beach.
Council’s traffic department believed it was “reasonable” to reduce the car parking requirement and noted that providing 16 bicycle spaces exceeds the requirement by nine.
Its governance department had no objection; “The proposal is considered to be not wholly consistent with the purpose of the crown reservation, however, the proposal is not considered to be detrimental to the purpose of the reservation.”
The foreshore reserve included “significant” unrestricted open space while the proposed development “represents a minor area of the reserve”.
“The governance department also acknowledge Sofia’s Restaurant, Waves Restaurant, the Seaford Beach Cafe and Crackerjack Cafe which are located on Crown Land reserved for public purposes,” the report stated.
The amount of coastal acid sulphate soil (CASS) on the site will also need to be assessed before construction of the building which is set back up to eight metres from the existing yacht club.
A report prepared by GHD “indicates that site is vulnerable to coastal processes and risks including sea-level rise, erosion and beach recession”.
New seawalls have been designed to minimise scour and protect against inundation and damage associated with increased storm surges.
The height of the ground floor (2.8m to AHD) is based on a projected sea level rise of 0.8m by 2100, and a 50-year life of the building.
“Although wave splash of the public promenade in large storm events could still be expected this is acceptable for the promenade as its use would not be encouraged during an extreme storm tide event,” the report states.
“The revised design of the seawalls will reduce scour but the seawalls will still cause some scour and erosion of the beach. Maintenance of the existing beach could be achieved through top up nourishment of sand.
“Overall, it is considered the proposals achieve a reasonable balance of social, economic and environmental objectives, will result in a net community benefit and warrant support.”
