Retail growth plan barred

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has refused a restaurant and retail shop development in Olinda because of a shortage of car parking.
The proposed development was to extend an existing restaurant on the corner of Olinda-Monbulk Road and Mt Dandenong Tourist Road from 30 seats to 50.
The application also proposed to increase the restaurant capacity on weekends from 50 to 120 seats, the construction of seven shops, two offices, take-away premises and associated manager residence.
However, the application only proposed to develop a 50-lot car park, which the council believed was inadequate.
This comes after the council received two objectors from nearby residents who raised concerns over traffic and the lack of parking spaces.
A report to the council also suggested that because of the extreme congestion in the town on the weekend the maximum the restaurant should seat was 50 not 120.
Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff said parking was a critical issue in Olinda and he couldn’t accept a proposal that didn’t provide adequate parking.
He said parking was already congested in Olinda, especially on the weekends with the increase of visitors to the area.
Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn said parking and traffic was already gridlocked in the town and that the development would add to those problems.
“We will end up with people not wanting to go there because of the lack of parking,” she said.
“It (the development) would just add to the tension of the car parking issue which isn’t an option.”
Cr Cliff said that any business that opens in Olinda or anywhere in the shire needs to provide adequate parking.
“If we don’t protect these areas will loose the people coming to these places which are a vital to the tourist chain.”
The council last Tuesday night agreed to refuse the application on the grounds that there wasn’t enough parking provided for the scale of the development.
The Mail contacted the applicant’s planners but they were unable to say whether the matter would proceed further as they were awaiting instructions from their client.