209 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056

How did we get to this point when it isn't insane to put in a planning application for a mix (residential & retail) with a reduction (to zero) of the standard car parking requirement and waiver of the loading bay requirement ?

7 storey building?
No parking bays?
And I'm sure the building design does not meet the aesthetics if the surrounding architecture.
There is so much wrong with this application.
I would very much like to know which candidates will be supporting this application as I will not be voting for them in the upcoming election.

The published plan is interesting, and makes some good points, but there are still problems.

1) It's really ugly - I mean, a 'chainlink facade'. I know they're trying to be different, but this is going to be an absolute eyesore. Green (living) facades can work, but need to work just as well in the event that the greenery does not grow, or experiences problems.

2) It is too high. Remove level 2 and 4, and it will begin to fit the space. If this is allowed to go ahead at 7 storeys, then the two spaces north of it will also go to at least that level, creating the beginnings of an unliveable, and unloveable canyon.

I'd object to the car parking waiver, except that in this case, it is simply too ridiculous. Normally, I'd say that residents will still own cars, and that they'd be parking them on local streets (they probably still will), but in this case, the area is already too congested for that to be viable. They'll be parking some distance from home.

I agree with the proposal to ban cars completely from Saxon Street. Maybe some tighter restrictions on parking in surrounding streets would support a more complete move away from a reliance on private cars.