Preferred character statement

This area will consolidate as the major focus and ‘heart’ of Diamond Creek Activity Centre, comprising a range of uses including shops, offices and housing. The attractive shop fronts and outdoor cafes will create a buzz of activity at the Main Hurstbridge Road frontage. The land between the rail line, Main Hurstbridge Road and George Street should become the focus of activity, with a public space/ plaza for people to stop, sit and meet friends. An internal public street with fine grain shops and residential development above will create energy and vitality.

The street spaces will be landscaped with native and exotic vegetation and provide attractive links for pedestrians moving between the shops and the station. Buildings will be designed to have active frontages with highly articulated facades. They will maintain the existing low scale of Diamond Creek and provide additional interest at the street level.

Objectives

• To support growth in retail floorspace.

• To enable mixed use, accessible development and housing including accessible housing options, shops, offices and housing.

• To promote the creation of a public space/plaza in the centre.
• To create a town centre ‘heart’ away from the traffic congestion on Main Hurstbridge Road.

• To retain the township atmosphere of this precinct while allowing opportunities for increased development (including transit oriented development) on large sites close to the train station.

• To link the various activities of the precinct visually and physically with contemporary building forms, public spaces and an attractive, continuously accessible pedestrian environment.

• To create a ‘landscaped civic spine’ along Main Hurstbridge Road as the connecting feature of Diamond Creek.

• To create a stronger presence of built form and activity along Main Hurstbridge Road.

• To create improved pedestrian connectivity between both sides of Main Hurstbridge Road and the rail line.

• To advocate for the removal of the level crossing and the implementation of a sky rail as per the general concept provided at Figure 8.

• To develop the role of the station as a sustainable transport hub ensuring it is clearly accessible from the retail core.

• To encourage traffic calming measures to Main Hurstbridge Road to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

• To develop a long-term plan for car parking including designated accessible parking bays to ensure an adequate and sustainable supply.

Strategies

• Develop this precinct as the primary focus for retail activity in the centre.

• Generally contain retail activity within a compact pedestrian friendly core bound by the railway, Brooks Crescent, Waigo Way and Wensley Street/ George Street.

• Provide new retail and office space through more intensive, mixed use redevelopment.

• Deliver a vertical mix of land uses through facilitating the use of shop tops for office, residential and other commercial uses within the main streets of the activity centre.

• Encourage mixed use residential and office buildings north of the railway.

• Provide the opportunity for a transit-oriented development (TOD) on land to the west of the railway line (Vic Track land) including uses such as commercial and residential.

• Encourage progressive upgrades of railway infrastructure and the station to meet anticipated growth in demand for public transport services (including implementation of a potential sky rail).

• Liaise with the DoT to advocate for the removal of the level crossing including confirmation of the preferred outcome.

• Investigate redeveloping at-grade car parks for mixed use development, with replacement and additional car parking (if required) integrated in basement car parking.

• Investigate the opportunity for a raised pedestrian crossing directly east of Fyffe Street, connecting the north and south sides of Main Hurstbridge Road.

• Investigate improvements to station access and visibility, creating an inviting entrance.

• Investigate the provision of additional pedestrian railway crossings to improve connectivity and legibility between the northern and southern sides of the activity centre and beyond.

• Investigate potential footpath upgrades and widening along Main Hurstbridge Road.

• Implement improvements to the existing railway pedestrian crossing.

• Reduce the speed limit along Main Hurstbridge Road to 40km/h.

• Provide bike parking at highly frequented facilities such as supermarkets and the train station.

• Liaise with the DoT to improve existing bus stops along Main Hurstbridge Road.

• Liaise with DoT to advocate for the implementation of on-road cycle lanes on Main Hurstbridge Road.

• Redevelopment should respond to the distinct fine grain character along the southern side of Main Hurstbridge Road.

• Prepare an Urban Design Framework (UDF) that incorporates a public space/ plaza and the ‘heart’ of the Activity Centre to the north of Main Hurstbridge Road away from traffic congestion.

Design Guidelines

• Buildings fronting Main Hurstbridge Road should:

- Be designed with well-articulated facades, roof forms, fenestration, parapet treatments and other detail and materials to provide interest at the street level.

- Be built to the front boundary, with car parking (including designated accessible parking bays) behind.

- Provide active frontages at ground level to provide a safe and lively environment.

- Provide continuous weather protection (such as cantilevered canopies/verandahs) over footpaths.

- Include a street wall that includes both a fine grain and strong vertical articulation to deliver visual interest.

• Buildings on corner allotments should address both street frontages with shop front windows at street level.

• Design new buildings with the ground floor located responding to the natural ground level (NGL) to promote a strong connection with the public street space and ensure access to all.

• Plant substantial native and exotic trees where appropriate to provide shade in car parks and screen car parking areas.

• Front and side fencing is strongly discouraged.

• The use of roller shutters on shopfront windows and doors at street level is strongly discouraged.

• If required, at-grade or deck car parking is encouraged behind developments with an emphasis on landscaping to minimise visual impact on adjoining residential areas.

• New development at 42 and 44 Main Hurstbridge Road should provide for the retention and improvement of the site as a local landmark building.

Refer to the General Guidelines at Section 6.0 for interface setback requirements.