6 September 2009

Giralang Shops - No Oversized commercial developments for you!

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This morning I noticed ABC Online has brought the news that the proposed Woolworth’s development has been knocked off by ACTPLA. The reasoning is that it was too large for the site.

Brings me to a question, when can the ACT Government go, “Look you’ve had 4-5 years of trying for a redevelopment, either you put in plans that we can approve within 6 months or the land reverts to Government to be auctioned off.

That a developer can let a suburban shops fail, then seek to place inappropriate developments (and they were knocked back so they were inappropriate) and meanwhile it degrades into an eyesore. Now I’d imagine that some sort of commercial development is viable, probably not one that will make the current owners the sort of cash they were hoping for, but that’s risk for you.

Curious to see what happens now.

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stonedwookie4:16 pm 07 Sep 09

@Skidbladnir
Ever see anything like this in your suburb?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stonedwookie/3330375448/
dont have 2 believe me but you can go see with your own eyes if you like.

Crace is less than a kilometer away.

niftydog said :

Where are people getting the idea that a >2500sqm Woolworths with a large catchment area, potentially operating extended opening hours and selling liquor is going to quell the anti-social behaviour in the suburb?

Any degree of economic activity and an operational commitment from a large-scale and nationally-branded provider is probably better (and at significantly less risk to individual members of society) than the current little to no economic activity, in that the venue is only engaging nods.
(apparently, if stonedwookie is to be believed)
It would probably -change- the antisocial behaviours from one form to another (taxed) form, and derive a legal capital flow from it.

bd84 said :

Another win for NIMBYers and for the Kaleen businesses not wanting competiton.

… The owner has basically no options left for developing the site with no high density housing and a supermarket of a viable size both ruled out. …

Whilst I agree the Kaleen businesses approach left a lot to be desired, I think the NIMBY claim is a bit of a stretch. I don’t think anyone has been arguing for nothing to be done

Lets not forget there was a functioning centre there before, it may not of been brilliant and there may of been a need to seriously revamp, but to claim the owners have no options is total bollocks.

The planning framework was always there, if they don’t think they can come up with a viable, approvable plan they are welcome to try to sell their lease as is, or possibly give it back to the government.

This situation was caused by two things a) short-sighted conversion of retail leases by the Carnell govt, and b) the desire by the current owners to maximise the windfall gain of a). Letting buildings decay is the oldest trick in the development handbook for getting your way, Giralang residents (and potentially every other suburban shops) deserve better. I’m sure residents of MacKellar, Palmerston, Page and the like would not appreciate the same approach by the owners of their suburban retail areas.

Like I said earlier, I’d rather see the site levelled if the current owners won’t bother to ensure it maintains at least the pretence of keeping it secure.

I live in Giralang, and I wish they would just do SOMETHING to the place.
I don’t care what.

Be it units or shops or units and shops.

99% of the people who live in Giralang never went to the shops there for anything more than milk.
The service station sells milk. I don’t see that there is a reason for there to be a shops there.
But I just want anything there. Living across the road from that is bad.

I’ve not noticed an increase in graffiti and vandalism linked to the demise of the shops. In fact the GBC boys seem to have gotten bored and moved on.

Where are people getting the idea that a >2500sqm Woolworths with a large catchment area, potentially operating extended opening hours and selling liquor is going to quell the anti-social behaviour in the suburb?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy8:56 am 07 Sep 09

bd84 said :

Another win for NIMBYers and for the Kaleen businesses not wanting competiton.

So now they have struck down residential and shopping space on the site it’s a resounding vote for leaving it in the decaying state it currently is in. The owner has basically no options left for developing the site with no high density housing and a supermarket of a viable size both ruled out. It shows the idiots rule this city..

Agreed. +1.

Another win for NIMBYers and for the Kaleen businesses not wanting competiton.

So now they have struck down residential and shopping space on the site it’s a resounding vote for leaving it in the decaying state it currently is in. The owner has basically no options left for developing the site with no high density housing and a supermarket of a viable size both ruled out. It shows the idiots rule this city..

Good. The fewer Woolworths the better. Hopefully an independent grocer will set up there …

I am not sure about the planning procedures, but why did these plans go up for consultation if it was too big for the area?

I would of thought the developer would of been told to go back & shrink the proposed work. Then once the plans meet ACT Planning laws, would those plans be put up for consultation. Or do we have to do everything for the Government?

Next election, we should just vote for ourselves!

This must be rather disappointing for the long-suffering residents of Giralang – who at least thought they had someone who was interested in providing something on the site.

The vindictive, anti-competetive attitude of Kaleen businesses is not impressive to say the least. Even if the objectives in the above posts here are correct – it is the ant-competetive objections that have grabbed the media’s attention. (I’m happy to be wrong – this is a perception and PR issue)

As an aside, there wouldn’t be any hint of ACT government revenge for daring to keep their school from the 2006 debacle? It’s not like government has never done anything like this before.

I hadn’t noticed the increase of needles on paths etc, maybe not walking enough, whilst I agree that its a problem and having a set of buildings in there current state of repair is creating the wrong sort of environment, I’m not sure that we need a “to hell with the other community costs lets give in to what the developer wants” approach.

I think the key thing here is that the owner/developer decided that there was more value in redevelopment as residential then there was maintaining it. Several of the viable business at the time were offered lease conditions that led to them deciding to leave. The developer got first attempt at re-development knocked back, then tried again this time with more token “retail” space and was knocked back and now has had a larger retail proposal knocked back.

I’d rather see the site levelled at this stage. What is incredibly disappointing is that there seems to be no way for the govt to revoke the lease and re-auction it to someone who wants to present an approvable and hopefully viable commercial centre.

I fear that for all of Canberra suburbs this is something of a test case. Whilst the govt has maintained that it doesn’t want another Latham, the current owners approach would suggest that they aren’t going to leave without the windfall gains they hoped to get from the conversion of retail leases from 25 to 99 years.

stonedwookie11:00 am 06 Sep 09

this isnt a win for belconnnen this is a plan 2 kill off giralang!.
the place has turned into a real hole latly.
heroin needles are being found all over giralang and close 2 the shop about 20 metres away from the primary school!
im pretty sure the shops are used as a shooting house now.
What would the government prefer?
a heroin shooting house? or a shop thats 2 big?
everything is being vandelised in the area graffiti and litter are taking over!
anything is better then whats really happening.

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