Theme 1: Activities. Background

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1 Theme 1: Activities The Activities Theme relates to the type of land uses that are preferred in different parts of Kyneton, including retail, residential, office and civic uses. Background The Retail and Commercial Role of the Kyneton Town Centre The Kyneton Town Centre is the local district s primary activity centre and provides a number of retail, service and employment opportunities to the local area. The centre is based upon three lineal and interconnected streets (High, Mollison and Piper), and extends approximately 1.5 km from end to end. High and Mollison Streets, and adjoining streets, provide a range of convenience and comparison goods and services, primarily serving the local community. Piper Street provides a retail offer that is focused more around the historic aspect of the township and the resultant tourism. The linking of these three lineal streets to form an identifiable and cohesive town centre is a major focus of this project. Western side of Mollison Street between the Mechanics Reserve and Jennings Street Retail The town centre of High, Mollison and Piper Streets is the retail focus for Kyneton and surrounding areas. There is sufficient zoned retail land within the town centre to accommodate future growth, however redevelopment of Business 1 zoned land along these streets may be seen to be limited by the large number of heritage buildings and the small lot sizes. While the heritage fabric of the town has potentially impacted the ability to consolidate sites and redevelop affordable retail spaces, it also presents a unique opportunity for Kyneton to create a distinctive character that could be harnessed in new developments. It is therefore important to demonstrate in new development how the existing heritage buildings can be beneficially utilised. The individual streets throughout the Town Centre currently perform different retail functions. High Street primarily serves local shopping needs and services for residents as well as some spill-over tourism trade. However many of these shops are closed on weekends and public holidays. Mollison Street provides local shopping and services needs based around two supermarkets, but also performs a civic role with services such as the Council Offices, Post Office, Mechanics Reserve and local landmarks such as the Shamrock and Albion hotels. In the northern part of Mollison Street the retail strip becomes disjointed and this is a contributing factor to the sense of dislocation between Mollison and Piper Streets

2 Safeway supermarket and car park Piper Street primarily serves high yield visitor markets. Shops, cafes and restaurants are generally targeted at the tourism market and are open on weekends and public holidays. Other uses in the street include the museum, hotels and a motel, and occasional peripheral retail uses. However, the strip is elongated and interrupted by remaining residential and non-commercial uses. Due to the small lot sizes of the town centre, there is limited opportunity for large format retail to complete the range of retail offer. Provision of additional Business 1 zoned land for this type of retail would further disperse retail development in the town centre, which is undesirable and should be avoided. The potential to develop additional retail floorspace exists mainly in the Market/Ferguson/High Street triangle, as well as some of the larger sites along Piper Street. Urban Enterprise have recommended that Council consider undertaking a strategic review of retail land across the Shire to address where large format retail should be located. This could include the promotion of land assembly and development of a core retail anchor such as a supermarket, in an area like the Market/Ferguson/High Street triangle. Research undertaken by Urban Enterprise indicates there is a large amount of escape expenditure for basic grocery supply, medical providers, educational institutions, and tourism visitation. Improvements to these sectors would reduce, although not completely eliminate, this expenditure loss. An assessment could be undertaken to determine how to prevent such escape expenditure. The Safeway and IGA supermarkets at the southern end of Mollison Street provide anchors for other retailing activity in these areas; however the physical focus for both these supermarkets (the shopping area, entrances and car park) is located behind the Mollison Street frontage. This provides opportunities to further intensify activities at the rear of the existing linear shopping strips and create more centralised hubs of activity. Linkages from the Mollison Street frontage will need to be created / improved to facilitate a greater circulation to and from the lineal strip to these areas. This issue will be addressed in more detail in the Access theme. The majority of the Town Centre s off-street parking is located in areas behind Mollison and High Streets. Some of these car parks could be considered as opportunity sites, provided that an equivalent number of car spaces could be relocated underground or on decks above shops on-site or nearby. Community feedback has shown that there is a strong desire for longer and more consistent opening hours for shops, cafes and restaurants. This is an important aspect of serving local needs as well as encouraging tourism to Kyneton. Office and Commercial There is a lack of obvious office uses throughout the town centre, apart from the Council offices on Mollison Street and a small number of offices in Market Street. There is the potential for small offices to be accommodated in the upper levels of existing buildings, with heritage buildings offering great potential for this use. Guidelines for the adaptation of heritage buildings or using successful projects for demonstration may increase the potential for appropriate reuse of heritage buildings in this way. Research undertaken by Urban Enterprise indicates there are inadequate employment opportunities, particularly for knowledge workers within the Macedon Ranges Shire. This lack of job opportunities forces many residents to commute to the greater Melbourne region to seek job and career opportunities. This is a Shire-wide issue that cannot be resolved in one town, but it is reflected in the low office provision. It is possible that low rent or serviced office space, provided in an incubator style development, may encourage consultancies or small businesses to

3 establish in Kyneton. This would probably require public funding and a more detailed assessment of need to succeed. Kyneton Shire Hall in Mollison Street Potential for upper levels to be used for residential purposes Civic and Community There are two main civic focal points in the centre: the Council offices area on Mollison Street with the court house and police station; and the Mechanics Institute, War Memorial and the new Library at the intersection of High and Mollison Streets. These civic areas have seen upgrades in recent years with new buildings and landscaping, and will continue to be enhanced as focal points of the town. The creation of the Mechanics Reserve through the closure of Baynton Street, with the installation of public toilets, play equipment and interpretive signage, emphasises the importance of this area. Kyneton Primary School is located adjacent to the new Library on Baynton Street, creating a potential synergy between the two learning facilities. Kyneton Secondary College and the Sacred Heart College are located in close proximity to each other at the eastern end of the High Street retail strip. The ODP has an objective of retaining the existing land adjacent to the secondary college to support the provision of a colocation of a primary school in the future to establish a consolidated education precinct for the township. Residential Increasing the opportunities for residential development within and around the Town Centre would provide many benefits to the centre and the township in general. Shop-top residences above existing shops, or included within new mixed use developments, could provide accommodation for students, workers and others enjoying close access to facilities. Medium density housing around the town centre can provide housing for those with limited mobility, including the ageing population of the township, and others requiring smaller dwellings with good access. An increased population within walking distance of the centre provides a greater market for the commercial sector, without an otherwise commensurate increase in the traffic and parking generation. The opportunity to increase residential density through shop-top development and medium density development is limited in many places by the large number of historic buildings in the retail precincts. However, substantial opportunities exist along Market and Ferguson Streets to provide an integrated retail/office and residential area taking advantage of the proximity to the retail core and educational precinct. There is also potential to redevelop residential land directly surrounding the retail strips, to accommodate higher density development. The areas most suited to this are those adjacent to the study area to the north of Piper Street and the south of High Street. These areas are less constrained through existing heritage controls and have the potential of intensifying housing in close proximity to a number of other services such as retail, schools, the showgrounds and the train station. The other areas surrounding the study to the east and west of Mollison Street appear to have a very strong neighbourhood character and may be less suited to intensification of housing as a result. Undertaking a neighbourhood character study of these areas is recommended to provide further guidance on this issue. In addition, implementation of Council s heritage studies may result in new the Heritage Overlays around the town centre. The western part of Piper Street contains many properties with heritage values which contribute to the historic aspect of the precinct and provide an attractive gateway to

4 the town. These properties should be retained where possible and be incorporated into the historic trail as suggested in the ODP. Industrial Industrial uses are focused to the north of the town centre near the showgrounds, and also extend further north across the Calder Freeway in the Kyneton Industrial Estate. The ODP identifies this area north of the Freeway to be ideal for industrial subdivision and development in the future as it is removed from residential areas, but is close to the principal transport route and not too far from the local labour force. Given the availability of industrial land to the north of the township, it is unnecessary for industrial development to locate within the Town Centre. It should be noted however that light industrial uses such as stonemasons and small scale food production in Piper Street should be encouraged to be retained in this location as they contribute to the working history aspect of this precinct. Piper Street looking west Entrance to Kyneton Museum on Piper Street Tourism, Culture and Entertainment The historic built form of Kyneton is a key tourism icon for Kyneton. One example of a historically and culturally significant site is the Drill Hall. Other key tourism icons in Kyneton include the Kyneton Racecourse and the Budburst, Jazz, Heritage and Daffodil festivals. At present tourism uses are congregated in Piper Street, with a limited number of activities in High and Mollison Streets. Urban Enterprise have identified a lack of high quality tourist accommodation as a major issue for the town centre. Accommodation is required to support the tourism related activities and further potential of Piper Street. There are a few bed and breakfasts, however the provision of a high quality apartment hotel or self-catering units for the town centre would increase opportunities for weekender tourism and reduce escape expenditure to other towns in the region. The most suitable location for this type of development is within walking distance of Piper Street. There is also the potential to diversify the service roles between High Street and Piper Street. Uses that are in theme with the tourism focus of Piper Street and also service the local community should be encouraged (i.e. bakeries, cafes, boutiques etc.) to generate week-round activity in Piper Street. In High Street shops and restaurants should be encouraged to open during peak tourism periods to service spill over tourism and support the retail offer on Piper Street. There is also an opportunity for the development of additional tourism product (retail/ accommodation/ gallery) along the northern end of Mollison Street. Other opportunities to improve the tourism offer include development of the Steam Mill and the old ice works for tourism related product (i.e. day-spa/ art house cinema/ boutique accommodation), the establishment of tourist information hubs like at the Museum on Piper Street, and encouraging weekly activities such as farmers market, flea market, boot sale, or craft/ art market. Museum Corner could be established as a major Tourism Hub by developing the museum and 75 Piper Street into an exhibition space, regional gallery and visitor information centre. This would encourage the Museum, which is currently only open a few days a week, to be open more often. The Hub could also provide upgraded public toilets. Other locations for tourist information have been considered, such as next to the Drill Hall or at the Sunford site. However, the Museum Corner Hub is considered the most appropriate location, within the Piper Street tourist area. Information boards could be provided at these other locations in addition to the Piper Street centre. The existing festivals, coupled with the historic aspect of the town centre, provide opportunities to build upon this theme through complimentary cultural activities such

5 as food and wine tourism, the promotion of local artists, and displays and exhibitions that occur throughout the year. Many of these activities could focus upon Piper Street, however the use of vacant shopfronts for the display of artworks could also bring this activity to other parts of the town centre. There is an identified lack of entertainment facilities within Kyneton for younger people. Existing buildings such as the Town Hall or the Mechanics Institute could be investigated for such activities such as a temporary cinema or for functions. Other assets such as the Bluestone Theatre and Red Brick Hall (both on the periphery of the study area) or one of the various parish halls could meet this need. The provision of a drop-in youth centre could also be investigated. Goals, Strategies and Actions Goals Improve the integration of Kyneton town centre s retail streets through stronger visual and physical links. Consolidate the retail core of Kyneton within the existing Business 1 zoned areas of the town centre, comprising a thriving mix of retail activities, restaurants and cafes that serve the daily needs of local people as well as visitors. Encourage the development of medium density housing within walking distance of the town centre, providing a greater diversity of housing opportunities with convenient access to the services offered within the centre. (Ensure that neighbourhood character and heritage considerations are taken into account in the design of these developments - see the Buildings Theme.) Facilitate the development of additional community, cultural and entertainment facilities within the town centre. Promote the development of Piper Street as a regional tourist attraction, providing a distinctive specialty retail and restaurant experience in a heritage setting. Strategies Encourage redevelopment of land or reuse of buildings within the core retail area to accommodate future retail, commercial and office needs. Complement the core retail activity of the town centre with a mixed-use area accommodating retail, office and residential uses in the area bounded by Market, Ferguson and High Streets. Encourage use of existing historic buildings that accommodates ground level retail with small office spaces, other commercial uses or residential above. Encourage a range of after hours and night time activities to enhance the vibrancy of the town centre. Facilitate the development of an integrated education precinct around the TAFE and Secondary College, Sacred Heart College and St. Mary s School which caters for persons of all ages. (Note that this area extends outside of the study area). Provide improved community, cultural and entertainment facilities within the town centre. Specifically: - Investigate the potential to create a community/visitor information hub around the Museum

6 - Provide entertainment facilities that cater for all ages, offering activity through the day and night. - Promote the cultural offer of Kyneton s local artist community. - Investigate the potential for under-used buildings of Piper Street to be used as artist studios. - Improve connections between existing community facilities and the town centre. Encourage additional high quality tourist accommodation within walking distance of Piper Street. Encourage the development of local businesses within the town centre which can provide a niche or boutique shopping experience that is unique to Kyneton. Investigate the potential for land assembly within the town centre to accommodate large format retailers (subject to such proposals meeting urban design objectives for the town centre). Retain and enhance the heritage qualities of the centre that form a key tourist attractor. Develop a range of activities and events to encourage tourist visitation for longer stays. Discourage commercial uses in residential zoned areas near the town centre. Actions Encourage reuse of residential heritage buildings in Piper Street for retail, commercial or restaurant /entertainment activities that complement the heritage/tourism theme of the area. Consider undertaking a strategic review of retail land across the Shire to address where large format retail should be best located. This study could be extended to assess how to prevent expenditure escaping from the town. Work with local business operators to encourage consistent trading hours, and opening of tourism related businesses during evenings, public holidays and weekends. Develop guidelines to encourage the appropriate reuse of heritage shoptops for office or residential use. Promote the need for high quality tourist accommodation in Kyneton, and facilitate appropriate developments. Work with the trader organisations to promote the tourism offer of Kyneton and prepare a calendar of events for the Town Centre. Undertake a Neighbourhood Character Assessment of residential areas surrounding the retail core to identify and protect areas with character values, whilst identifying areas with potential for housing change. Investigate the potential to establish regular themed markets such as a local arts and craft market or trash and treasure market within the town centre. Approach vacant Piper Street building owners to investigate establishment of artists studios as temporary uses prior to redevelopment. Investigate the feasibility of utilising the Council Town Hall or Mechanics Institute for occasional film screenings, music or other functions for people of all ages

7 Investigate local demand for incubator style office space for the establishment of employment generating businesses. Work with education sector providers to maximise synergies, sharing of resources and opportunities for wider community participation in educational activities. Encourage the retention of small scale industrial activities within the centre that contribute to the working history of the town. Investigate opportunities for the development of a Tourism Hub at Museum Corner including the provision of an exhibition space, regional gallery, tourist information centre and public toilets at the Museum and 75 Piper Street

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