BACKGROUND
The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) are redeveloping their Fitzroy site and describe it as “structures between two and four storeys along street frontages and a centrally located area of up to 12 storeys”
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12 storeys is about 52 metres using Wikipedia’s conservative storey/metres conversion rate. This is around 2.5* the height defined in the, already generous, City of Yarra planning scheme and almost 3* the height of existing buildings on the BSL site. Buildings of this size will tower over Gertrude Street, Brunswick Street, low-rise residences nearby and the UNESCO World Heritage site next door.
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BSL have applied directly to the State Government for a DPO to achieve their aims. This means:
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BSL have dismissed the City of Yarra Planning Scheme as having no relevance to BSL, although it is the standard that applies to every member of the community who lives in Fitzroy.
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A DPO prevents any input from the Fitzroy Community. We are all silenced, disenfranchised by the DPO’s closed process. Decisions are made between BSL and The Planning Minister. We cannot even see what is proposed until it has been approved. BSL have refused to show us the DPO that has been drafted.
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Update: The BSL Pause
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BSL have paused their DPO application and have said they will unpause only after they have defined their 5 year organisational strategy (during 2023). BSL say they have not decided the detail of the buildings' design or confirmed their height. We see the pause as positive.
However, a pause is a pause, not a halt.
However, 12 storeys is the height currently drafted.
We ask you to let BSL know that after the pause, you feel strongly that the DPO should halt, and BSL should develop their site in compliance with the City of Yarra Planning Scheme.
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