Evelyn Street update
Council proposal to Sell 17-20 Evelyn Street park
Frankston Council rejected the sale of park land at 17-21 Evelyn Street, Frankston to a developer for construction of a Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Justice & Community Safety development, and has voted instead to prepare plans to landscape the park.
The Committee for Greater Frankston made a submission to this process outlining our concerns about the lack of information provided about the proposed car parking impacts on the CBD.
In follow up, the Committee has contacted Martin Poole the council officer, leading the project, to reaffirm our support for: more CBD jobs, consolidation of the Justice Department’s Frankston premises; and well-considered, well-planned and well-executed State government investments in our CBD.
We have offered our assistance in connecting Justice Department’s representative with other land owners in the CBD. Martin has confirmed that DTF will be making another ‘approach to market’ for appropriate brown-field development locations in Frankston CBD for this redevelopment project.
Obviously the Committee is still keen to see a satisfactory outcome for the Justice Department to consolidate their Frankston premises and would be happy to assist in any way possible in connecting the department’s representative with other land owners in the CBD.
Media Coverage
Sale of Evelyn Street open space stopped
Frankston Times, Brodie Cowburn, 11 June 2019.
Power to the people
Council abandons green space sell-off
Christian Tatman, 24 June 2019, pg 12
Frankston Council has bowed to people power and dumped its controversial plan to sell the last green space in Frankston’s CBD. The council wanted to sell the 2288 sqm site Evelyn St site to a developer for $4 million so offices could be built for State Government services to help family violence victims. But last week it abandoned the move following strong community opposition.
Planning activist Hilary Poad, who has attended almost every council meeting for two decades, said it was a commonsense call. “They have recognised the will of the people — it’s a fantastic decision,” she said. Ms Poad had previously slammed the land sale as reprehensible and said there had been a lack of transparency.
Cr Glenn Aitken said it was essential the green space was preserved for future generations. Cr Steve Toms said there was already empty offices at Frankston that the State Government could use and “people don’t want it to be swallowed up by a government department.” Council officers will now look into ways the green space can be improved with landscaping and trees.
