By Rowan Forster
Pakenham’s town centre is set to mimic Melbourne’s Lygon Street by 2035, with council unveiling ambitious plans to transform Main Street into a flourishing entertainment hub with alfresco dining, four-storey shop tops and one-way traffic to encourage pedestrian activity.
In one of the most consequential proposals Cardinia Shire has ever produced, the suburb’s CBD would undergo a radical transformation to rival the nation’s most gentrified neighbourhoods.
On-street traders and performers would line the streets on widened footpaths, advocated for by planners to embolden the precinct’s sense of life and activity.
Keeping in tow with tourist destinations such as the Gold Coast, Main Street would be “truncated” at the Pakenham level crossing – reducing traffic to one direction and leaving a sole “gateway” into the town centre.
High-density housing has been proposed to accommodate the region’s rapidly growing population – which is tipped to exceed 111,000 by 2020.
It comes during the council’s fight to protect Central Pakenham’s “cultural, aesthetic and architectural heritage”.
On Monday, 19 November, councillors submitted an amendment for further heritage protections in Pakenham’s town centre to an independent panel.
Residents are dubious about council’s conflicting goals.
Harry Clein, who lives in King Street, struggles to believe that the suburb’s heritage can realistically be maintained alongside such a large-scale proposal.
“It’s a conflict of interest,” Mr Clein said.
“I don’t see how you can realistically say you’re going to protect old Pakenham when you’re planning to re-design the whole main street and fill it with apartments.
“The people who have lived here and paid rates here are here to escape the city, not to become a part of it.”
While the council’s Pakenham Structure Plan document spruiks an ideal height of four-storeys in Main Street, some developments may be even taller.
In a real estate listing of several shops at 137-147 Main Street on 11 October, Facey Indsutrial agents advised that Cardinia Shire had encouraged the development of up to five levels in the future.
A number of other big ticket proposals for the rejuvenated Pakenham town centre include:
– Development of laneways to provide area for restaurants and food establishments to offer outdoor dining experiences.
– Incentives for venues to stay open late, breathing new life into Pakenham’s nightlife.
– Redeveloping Marketplace’s council-owned car park into a multi-deck car park and commercial development.
– Farmers markets in the space beneath Pakenham’s Skyrail, if it comes to fruition.
– Construction of an “entertainment plaza” in the south east corner of Pakenham’s CBD, providing another space for festivals and community activities.
Speaking on the ambitious plans, Councillor Michael Schilling said it was extremely important to revitalise Pakenham’s town centre.
“We often get feedback that Pakenham’s Main Street needs a refresh,” he said.
“Our town centre, you can drive through it at 5pm at night and quite often you’re the only person there.
“That is something that needs to change.”
Cr Schilling said council’s Pakenham Structure Plan – which is set to be delivered to the Planning Minister – is extremely vital.
“It’s incredibly important that we’re advocating for the future of central Pakenham,” he added.
“The real purpose of this is to provide a vision for our town centre and provide the developers with a blueprint for the town centre.
“As a community, we want our town centre to be bustling hub of activity and culture.”
The panel has also recommended that council absolve ownership of Bourke Park to VicTrack, as it is a key transport hub in the future.
Council is on board with this suggestion, especially given both Labor and Liberal have committed to establishing a “superstation” at Pakenham.
A significant hurdle for the proposed overhaul will be the 19 heritage-listed sites, which are located inside or adjacent to Pakenham’s activity centre.The Pakenham Structure Plan outlines a series of strategies to balance the divide.”Encourage the adaptive reuse of existing heritage buildings and places, provided this does not have a negative impact on its heritage value,” the report read.
