Support New Cafes Restaurants and Apartments on Private Land on Jetty Rd Rosebud

Letter to Rosebud residents

February 1st, 2013
Dear Neighbours ,
I am writing to you, in response to the smear campaign that you have received recently asking you to lodge objections to the councils proposed amendment that requires a new development plan and design. The statements made in these documents are untrue and I invite you to contact council or myself to get the facts.
My name is Leigh Coleman. My wife and I have lived now full time for 3 years at 1A Jetty Rd, having retired to Rosebud from Wheelers Hill. We purchased the property some 6 years ago with this intention and intend to remain here. As you may know, we are proposing to build apartments, cafes and a restaurant facing the beach and have received approval to build a 2 Story building 3 years ago.
Council then indicated in their draft Rosebud structure plan the creation of a Jetty Rd cafe restaurant precint to activate or improve the facilities available to the foreshore and Jetty. This precint, both sides of Jetty rd, would have a maximum height limit of 3 stories subject to council agreeing to the design. The design guidelines contained in the structure plan are attached.
We have worked with council for over 5 years, on the initial approved design, and now on this final 3 Storey design. We have been through an exhaustive process of review by council, council planners and their panel of expert designers and architects, and have in my opinion greatly improved the end result. See the new (top) and old (bottom) designs at top of my letter.
Council at its meeting on September 26th 2012, finally after 2 years, unanimously approved the Rosebud Structure plan.
As stated the 3 Storey limit covers both sides of Jetty Rd, including Mr. Charles Agius and his brother, and Jetty cafe. Mr Agius together with the neighbours on the eastern side of our property, and the Mornington ratepayers association are behind the recent campaign against 3 stories in the Jetty rd cafe precint. They also took us to VCAT and were against the 2 Storey design in 2007, but lost.
We have approval to build the 2 Storey , but have waited for the 3 Storey . The 3 Storey design is a partial 3 Storey , and the upper floor is heavily recessed, as required by council. If you look at the views of the development, the 3rd floor is not obvious from Pt. Nepean Rd or Jetty Rd. The 3 Storey limit is still considered low rise, medium density, and even though partial only 3 metres higher than before. It uses approx 55% of the lower floor footprint. Though not obvious , it has a three Storey atrium from the ground floor in its centre. I would welcome any interested residents to go over the plans in detail.
This location, as is yours,is very special or even unique, as is the foreshore and jetty on Pt Phillip Bay, and as such we felt very important to get it right, for us, for Rosebud residents and the wider community.
This is the last project of this type we will undertake. We are not developers, we are Rosebud residents and ratepayers. It will provide jobs here and a significant amount of income to council in new rates. We will also be contributing to the upgrading of the foreshore.
I earnestly hope that this will be the first stage in the renewal of Rosebud, and it will be the catalyst for several developments in the area.
The council have engaged consultants to prepare proposals for the upgrading of Jetty rd into a shared use pedestrian zone, the car park , a new playground on the foreshore , and we hope a way of watering the grassed area, so it doesn't die every year. No doubt you will hear more of this in due course.
The New Rosebud plans are not only about the Jetty Rd cafe precint, it's about all of Rosebud, with 3-4 Storey height limits planned for parts of Rosebud, to provide for views to the beach and for new rosebud residents. This has been State and council planning policy for several years, to take the pressure off urban sprawl and intrusion into the special green wedge benefits of the Peninsula lifestyle.
Again, the motives behind the smear campaign are unclear , but the objectors are professional developers and in my opinion, the Mornington ratepayers association do not represent ratepayers or residents of the peninsula, having been seriously politicized over the last few years. They have few members and focus their attention on council bashing. Despite running several candidates at the last election, lost with none elected.
Despite, my request to my neighbours and Alan Neilson from the ratepayers association to meet and discuss the new design, both still continue to refuse to meet me or even discuss over the telephone. Their only response are protest signs and smear campaigns.
They have their facts wrong, and in my opinion, they know it and they are misleading rosebud residents.
We ask for your support.
We would ask rather than objecting ( which is your right by the way) indicate your support to council , and change the pre filled form from objecting to supporting.
We will be having an open day soon on site, and I look forward to meeting you and explaining any detail you may care to discuss. If you send me an email, I'll put you on the mailing list for the Banksia Point newsletter which will keep you updated on the progress of Banksia Point and the foreshore upgrades.
There's still a lot still to do, with our project is only one aspect, the foreshore and its history needs promoting ..Thank you for listening.
Sincerely yours,
Leigh & Veronica Coleman