Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood PlanCommunity Planning TeamMeeting notes Meeting 2 - 10 February 2016

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Notes from Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan Community Planning Team (CPT) Meeting 2

Meeting detailsDate: Wednesday 10 February 2016

Time: 6pm

Location: Holland Park Hotel

Attendees

Community planning team members:Ailsa, Amila, Andrea, Andrew, Angela, Catherine, Chris, Chris, Christine, Christopher, Deb, Irene, Jack, Jayne, John, Karen, Lynette, Melanie, Michael, Patricia, Peter, Robert, Samantha, Sarah and Wayne.

Council Officers and Project Consultants:Peta Harwood (Operations Manager, City Planning and Economic Development), Travis Frew (Project Manager), Sonia Kirby (Principal Urban Planner), Lisa Edgerton (meeting facilitator), Anna McKinven, Annete Armstrong, Georgia Pilkington, Georgina Aitchison, Jade Marshall, Jan Logan, Kat Guerrero, Nathan Bambling, Shilo Quinnell, (table facilitators and scribes), Rosemary Shields, Jamie Faithfull (City Architecture and Heritage Team) Jo Blythe (project consultant), Dianne Parsons (registration), and James Cole (note taker).

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Elected Representatives and other Observers:Councillor Ian McKenzie, Councillor for the Ward of Holland Park; and Gemma Long, Policy Advisor to Councillor Amanda Cooper, Chair of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment Committee.

Apologies:Councillor Amanda Cooper, Chair of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment Committee; and CPT members Alan, Cameron and Dorothea.

Agenda1. Welcome and Purpose of Meeting

2. Recap of CPT meeting no. 1 (25 November 2015)

3. What is a Vision and why do we need one for Coorparoo and Districts?

4. Activity #1: Looking ahead – your ideas for a vision

5. Future neighbourhood character in the plan area

6. Activity #2: Looking at character housing and future growth

7. Wrap-up and explanation of next steps

8. Meeting close

Welcome and purpose of meetingLisa (meeting facilitator) acknowledged the traditional owners of the meeting place, and welcomed everybody to this second Community Planning Team (CPT) meeting for the Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan (CDNP).

Lisa then thanked everyone for giving up their time to contribute and for also continuing to provide input through the online survey. The CPT 2 built on the feedback and advice that had been received to date.

Lisa formally welcomed Councillor Ian McKenzie, Councillor for the Ward of Holland Park, and Gemma Long, representing Councillor Amanda Cooper, Chair of Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment.

Next, Lisa introduced the Council team that will be managing the planning process and assisting to guide the evening’s activities.

An overview of the agenda was then presented to CPT members. Lisa explained that Council welcomes all feedback, although it is important to note that some ideas and suggestions may be out of the scope of what a neighbourhood plan can achieve or influence.

Recap of CPT Meeting No. 1 (25 November 2015)Travis took attendees through a brief recap of the first CPT meeting, advising that meeting notes have been distributed to members and are also published on the project website. The first CPT meeting included detailed input and advice from members regarding four key themes: getting around, local centres, housing, and open space.

Tonight’s meeting was the second of four CPT meetings proposed to gather direct, valuable input from the community. Travis explained that the sequence of CPT meetings will comprise the following:

CPT Meeting 1 (25 November 2015): sought feedback on the 4 themes as detailed above

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CPT Meeting 2 (10 February 2016): seeking further input into development of a vision for the area, and neighbourhood character

CPT Meeting 3 (13 April 2016) CPT Meeting 4 (4 May 2016).

Travis noted that feedback forms from the first CPT meeting suggested that some people were unclear about how Council will use input from the CPT. Travis explained that the CPT is a highly valued source of local, ground-truthed detail, to help Council understand the local area and the community’s aspirations.

Next, Travis provided a summary of feedback that has emerged from the community survey, highlighting that more than 400 responses have been received to date. Among the wide range of views expressed, some of the key issues identified related to:

green space parking impact of new development pedestrian / cycle paths and connectivity higher density residential – development and appropriate locations traffic congestion and road safety character housing Brisbane City Plan 2014 and development assessment processes public transport.

Travis concluded by noting that several of these issues are particularly relevant to CPT 2 discussions.

What is a vision and why do we need one for Coorparoo and Districts?Travis explained that it is important that a vision for Coorparoo and Districts describes in clear language what the area will look like in 20 years’ time. In displaying an example of a vision from another neighbourhood plan, Travis pointed out that a vision should be aspirational and outcome-focused, should include ‘big picture’ thinking and should seek to build consensus about the community’s common future. He added that a vision will facilitate an effective and comprehensive neighbourhood plan strategy by laying down building blocks on which the rest of the strategy can be developed.

Travis noted that each step of the process in creating a statutory neighbourhood plan will have a line of sight to the vision, helping to maintain focus on delivering outcomes for the community. It also serves to excite people about the future of their community and engage them in being involved in the process. A vision is often supported by some key themes, such as building upon the themes explored with members during the first CPT meeting.

In conclusion, Travis reminded members of the dramatic extent of change experienced in the area since it was first settled, and asked members to use the visioning exercise to imagine what Coorparoo and Districts will look like in another 20 years’ time.

Activity 1: Looking ahead – your ideas for a vision CPT members discussed their ideas for an appropriate vision for Coorparoo and Districts, firstly by devising separate written statements for the area’s ‘look’ and ‘feel’, then sharing these with the group and identifying common themes across the comments.

Several prompts were also provided as an overview of the types of elements people often describe when talking about and area’s look or feel. Feedback from the community survey has also supplied some interesting commentary on what people would like the future to contain. Many of these elements can be influenced or guided by careful planning.

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Travis emphasised that Council has no pre-conceived vision – Council needs the community’s input into what a realistic, innovative vision should say about the area’s future.

An image of all collated written comments and ideas is provided at Appendix A to these notes.

What defines neighbourhoods and factors to considerTravis spoke about the different elements that define our neighbourhoods including the people, the streetscape, the views, the built form and types of housing, the mixture of uses, access to public and active transport and access to local services and facilities.

Travis pointed out there are many different neighbourhoods across the Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan area. Each neighbourhood has its own features and values.

What is Traditional Character Housing?Travis pointed out that with traditional character housing featuring strongly in the neighbourhood plan area, it is vital to recognise the value of these houses and areas to the community, and to use the neighbourhood plan to provide appropriate protections while allowing the area to grow.

It was noted that, over time, growth and development has occurred and the plan area has experienced changes. As a result, there are variances in the quality and intactness of traditional character housing in the plan area. Not every street is the same. For example, some streets are largely intact and have a high proportion of pre-1946 housing, some streets have fragmented pockets of traditional character housing and some streets feature predominately post-war housing.

Activity 2: Looking at neighbourhood character and future growth CPT members then participated in two separate group discussion sessions about their thoughts on the various areas across Coorparoo and Districts, each session considering one of two major aspects of the desired neighbourhood character:

which areas should stay the same which areas might be suitable for growth or change.

Facilitators worked with members to draw out ideas in each group.

At the conclusion of the activity, facilitators reported back on the key points of agreement and the main issues where divergent opinions emerged. These are summarised as follows, with copies of maps, plans and summary notes provided at Appendix B to these notes:

Issues finding general agreement:

General desire for guidance regarding parameters for what might change and how the change might occur

Areas for growth and higher density should be centred around existing amenities, centres, transport corridors and commercial hubs

Some concerns about the ability to fit higher-density development alongside/among local character housing

Existing centres are great opportunities for increased vitality and activation Need to pursue active transport opportunities The community values clusters of high-quality character housing and wants these retained Eva Street and Buena Vista Avenue area should stay the same

Issues of divergent opinions:

Desire for a distinct local identity; others seek outcomes that avoid homogenous corridors Range of views about merit of protecting poor quality character housing or lone character

houses Differing opinions about future of character housing along Cavendish Road, particularly in

area near Our Lady of Mt Carmel Primary School

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Next steps and meeting conclusionLisa briefly reminded all CPT members of the next steps in the planning process as mentioned earlier, and then thanked all present for their enthusiasm and commitment to the activities.

Lisa advised that all information provided during the meeting will now be collated and used as valuable input as the next stages are progressed.

It was noted that the community survey will remain open for responses until 30 March 2016.

Travis also thanked all members for providing well-considered comments and ideas. He added that as the background research phase progresses, it is hoped to provide more detailed information at subsequent CPT meetings.

Additional input and comment is welcome at any time and should be directed to the Neighbourhood Planning Brisbane Team on the contact details below.

Prior to leaving, members were invited to complete evaluation forms to assist Council in running CPT meetings in the best way possible.

The meeting closed at 8.35pm.

Further ContactPhone: 3403 8888

Email: neighbourhood_planning@brisbane.qld.gov.au

Web: www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan’

Minutes checked/approved

Checked: TF / SK

Approved: RA

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Observations and input from CPT workshop activities, transcribed from notes and written comments on maps.

APPENDIX A

CPT Activity 1 feedback: Looking ahead – your ideas for a vision

NotesKey themes: Local – local villages, local facilities Community facilities – services, internet, connectivity Neighbourly – welcoming, relaxed, quiet, sought after location, friendly Balance – balance growth with character, high quality architecture, mix of housing types Character housing – retain a sense of history, protect character homes, pre and post war

housing is important Vibrant neighbourhoods – diverse, interesting, inspiring Connectivity – close proximity to centres, public and open spaces, accessible, wide road

corridors, sub-tropical boulevards, active and connected, safe and sustainable transport Family orientated – family friendly, safe Green – leafy street trees, natural waterways, community gardens, green Community – sense of place, community pride.

Observations and input from CPT workshop activities, transcribed from notes and written comments on maps.

Observations and input from CPT workshop activities, transcribed from notes and written comments on maps.

APPENDIX B

CPT Activity 2 feedback: Looking at neighbourhood character and future growth

Where growth could be supported(Tables with Shilo and Kat and Georgina and Nathan)

Notes Additional heights generally supported near public transport, main roads, open space,

infrastructure and services, and where there is not the presence of a cluster of character houses

Potential for change near Greenslopes Busway Station to develop as a retail and dining precinct, or an urban village, or other activation

Activate area around Greenslopes Private Hospital as a health and knowledge precinct Sensitive design that ‘steps down’, i.e taller in the middle or near centres and stepping down

in height near low density residential development

Observations and input from CPT workshop activities, transcribed from notes and written comments on maps.

Opportunities to further develop commercial and residential uses and potentially achieve greater heights along Logan Road, particularly between Greenslopes Mall and Greenslopes Centre, due to existing built form and transport corridor

Concerns areas LMR zone do not have enough car parking or open space to support increased population

Formalise/better define local centres, without over-developing them Consider opportunities to redevelop Greenslopes Mall Areas in LMR zone with highly fragmented character housing could potentially be removed

from traditional building character overlay New developments should have a high quality design that is sensitive to the existing

surrounding uses Concerns the area could not support higher density development Challenges in keeping streetscape character if building density is too high

Where existing neighbourhoods should remain largely unchanged(Tables with Annete and Jade and Jan and Georgia)

Notes Traditional building character is valued in the area Protect and enhance existing character housing, particularly when it is a cluster of houses

together Varied views on the value of protecting poorly maintained pre-1946 dwellings Protect streets that have a good mix of architecture, good examples of pre-war housing,

views, and nice streetscape

Retain character of local centres, particularly where commercial character dwellings are built to the boundary line and create a sense of place

Areas marked on the maps desirable to stay the same (opinions sometimes differed):- Residential around and north of Holland Park State School- Areas between Logan and Chatsworth Roads- Areas around Trundle Park and Our Lady of Mt Carmel Primary School - Around Martha Street- Henzell Terrace- Sackville Street/Chatsworth Road- Buena Vista Avenue- Area around Bowies Flat Wetland- Eva Street, Coorparoo.

Other notes Opportunity for a special feature to honour the military history and the role of the

Greenslopes Private Hospital Need more and safer bikeways and pedestrian paths Need more open space and restoration of natural areas around Norman Creek Need to consider aging in place, particularly if density is going to increase in some areas Protection of street trees is important to neighbourhood character Retain bushland corridors along Norman Creek and Pacific Motorway