SOUTH FREMANTLE TAVERN RAISES CONCERNS

 

There are serious concerns in the South Fremantle community about a proposed tavern, brewery and distillery on the former Sealanes site at 176-238 Marine Terrace.

Locals believe there is already ample supply of alcohol-related outlets in the area and that parking issues will escalate even more. They are also worried about noise, smells and anti social behaviour in the adjoining residential streets.

The proposal by the Running with Thieves brewery is for a micro-brewery that would be able to produce 1 million litres of beer, plus a distillery that would make gin, vodka, rum and whiskey.

There would also be a bar, restaurant and retail outlet, so unless substantial parking bays will be provided on site it would severely affect parking for locals and people visiting South Beach and the sunset markets, and those who commute on the CAT bus to the train station.

Submissions for the proposal closed on February 15, but many locals complain they had not been made aware of it and are scrambling to voice their opposition to the plans.

Although the official submission period is over there is still plenty of time to contact Fremantle Councillors. You can reach them all together here: members@fremantle.wa.gov.au

Roel Loopers

 

TYRES SLASHED IN SOUTH FREMANTLE

 

 

Dozens of tyres were slashed last night in Kings William and Attfield Streets in South Fremantle.

Many cars did have two tyres slashed which required a mobile tyre repair company to attend this morning.

A lot of people are now hundreds of dollars out of pockets because of some brain dead idiot(s) who believe it is funny to vandalise other people’s cars.

This happened about two years ago as well in the same area with even more cars damaged, and I also had two tyres on my car punctured.

These vandals are fools and criminals, so I hope the police will catch them!!

Roel Loopers

SOUTH FREO CARPARK PRIORITY OVER PEDESTRIAN CROSSING

 

 

The FPOL Committee of Fremantle Council will on Wednesday evening debate minor changes to the Lloyd Street/Hampton Road intersection and the exit from the Peaches/IGA shopping centre car park.

Council in its incredible wisdom decided last year that these pretty irrelevant adjustments were more important than a safe pedestrian and school crossing on Hampton Road between Lloyd and Scott streets.

Councillors decides that they knew much better what is needed and ignored the advise of traffic experts, City staff, and the community survey of local people, who actually use these roads and the school pedestrian crossing daily, as I do.

Now the City wants to spend a lot of money on minor changes which will make very little difference because the awkwardness of the car park exit will remain, no matter what they do, because it is too close to Hampton Road and that can’t be changed.

The frustration there is sometimes and mostly the incompetence of drivers who block two lanes when they turn left out of the Lloyd Street car park exit to either turn north or south onto Hampton Road. Making the two lanes more legible will not make an iota of a difference to those motorists who can’t turn a corner properly and hold up traffic.

So instead of spending some $ 300,000 of State Government money on getting a proper pedestrian crossing on Hampton Road and re-opening the Scott Street intersection the City will be wasting all that money on basically nothing at Lloyd Street. Yes Minister!

Roel Loopers

 

CAR BAYS OR STREET BEAUTIFICATION IN SOUTH FREO?

 

 

The alfresco area of Calogero’s in South Fremantle is in doubt with the Officers’ Recommendation for this Wednesday’s Ordinary Council meeting for the retrospective application to be refused due to lack of parking and the removal of previous car bays on the site.

I personally like the little hub from Little Lefroy Road to Jenkin Street with the cafes and restaurants, but there is no doubt that lack of parking is an issue in the area, but will the addition of two car bays really make a significant difference and is it enough to demand the removal of the large alfresco area?

That stretch of South Terrace is due for more traffic calming and making the area look more residential, so that motorists are encouraged to slow down, so a large alfresco area helps to achieve that, probably more than adding two car bays.

It will be interesting to observe if Fremantle Councillors agree with the officers or if they are more interested in the visual appeal of the Little Lefroy hub with street furniture, trees, bike racks or more parked cars.

Roel Loopers

LIMITED PARKING ALONG MARINE TERRACE SOUTH

 

Fremantle Council will on Wednesday debate if they should start with time limited and/or paid parking along Marine Terrace in South Fremantle and at South Beach, due to the fact that the parking bays in the area during weekdays are occupied by the cars of commuters, who hop on the CAT bus to Fremantle Station, and by the vehicles of Notre Dame university students and backpackers.

This means that local residents, shoppers and those who want to go to the beach often can’t find short-term parking, so the officers are putting the following recommendation to the elected members:

OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION Council: 1. Implements a two hour time restriction on the east side of Marine Terrace and the west side of Mews Road with the time restriction applying from Monday to Friday between 8am to 5pm and the parking being unrestricted after these hours and on weekends. 2. Implements a four hour time restriction in the portion of South Beach Car Park 58 north of South Beach Café which faces the beach. 3. Authorise the Chief Executive Officer enter into negotiations with the Department of Transport and Fremantle Sailing Club to implement a four hour time restriction in the Dog Beach Car Park and that these time restrictions apply from Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm with the parking being unrestricted after these hours and on weekends. 4. Authorise the Chief Executive Officer to extend the four hour time restriction to other portions of South Beach Car Park 58 and to South Beach Car Park 59 if the current time restrictions are not achieving the goal of ensuring that there is sufficient parking available to beach users. 5. Implements a $3.50 per day fee on the west side of Marine Terrace adjacent to the railway line and the east side of Mews Road south.

 

Roel Loopers

SOUTH FREO PAVEMENT PLACEMAKING PARTY

 

 

The first South Fremantle Precinct placemaking pavement party on the corner of Little Lefroy Road and South Terrace was a big success during the late afternoon of Thursday.

Young and old and dogs turned up to connect with the local community and celebrate the new street furniture and traffic slowing project.

Many of the South Freo celebs turned up and so did Mayor Brad Pettitt and Councillor Jon Strachan.

Well done to all the volunteers who beautified the area and organised the event!

Roel Loopers

CALOGERO’S ALFRESCO DECISION DEFERRED

 

 

The future of the alfresco area of  Calogero’s is still uncertain after Fremantle’s Planning Committee last night decided to defer it and give the owners the opportunity of sourcing for a location in the vicinity for two parking bays.

Personally I don’t see what the fuss is all about as that area from Little Lefroy Road to Jenkin Street along South Terrace has become a really lovely community hub, and even more so since the City of Fremantle improved the streetscape.

Parking in the area is always at a premium, but that applies to Pakenham Street in the inner city as well, and I doubt that Bread in Common and others there had to provide parking for their patrons.

Councillor Adin Lang was all for retrospective approval of the restaurant, while Councillor Dave Hume said that Council needed to become more flexible about parking if it wanted more activation and higher density in Fremantle.

This evening from 5.30-7.30pm there will be a community placemaking event with games, music, etc. at the little hub so come along and meet your fellow South Freo community members! See you there.

Roel Loopers

SOUTH TERRACE PAVEMENT PARTY

 

 

The South Fremantle precinct group is hoping to create a bit of David Engwicht style placemaking this Thursday, to celebrate the traffic calming and new streetscaping between Little Lefroy Road and Sydney Street along South Terrace.

The South Terrace Pavement Party is from 5.30-7.30 on December 6 and the organisors hope that local residents will bring chairs, couches, board games, musical instruments, etc. to connect with the local community.

The street facelift of new furniture, trees, bike racks and painted road service is only stage one of the City of Fremantle’s project, that will go all the way to Douro Road to emphasise it is a residential area and encourage motorists to slow down along South Terrace.

Roel Loopers

FREO’S CREATIVE TRAFFIC CALMING

 

 

The traffic calming along South Terrace in South Fremantle has become a bit more creative with the City of Fremantle painting red patterns on the road near the intersection with Lefroy Road.

It looks great CoF!

Roel Loopers

SOUTH FREMANTLE TRAFFIC CALMING CONTROVERSY

 

 

The first stage of traffic calming along South Terrace in South Fremantle is now completed near the intersection of Little Lefroy Road.

Footpaths have been widened, new trees planted, new benches installed, and four of the hated speedhumps have been removed.

But there is already criticism on the South Fremantle Precinct Facebook page with people complaining about the power lines still being above ground, alleged shoddy workmanship, and that traffic would now divert onto other roads and become a nuisance there.

All these issues were addressed during the lengthy and thorough community consultation process, and we should acknowledge that the whole process started at the request of local residents who wanted a safer environment for pedestrian and cyclists, and who complained that entering South Terrace from side streets was a hazard.

Most councils require local property owners to pay a substantial percentage of putting power under ground, and that was not supported at the community consultation sessions.

It is common knowledge that impatient motorists will always try to find alternative routes when they feel that traffic calming slows them down too much, but South Terrace was considered more of a residential area that warranted traffic calming and slower speeds than Hampton Road and Marine Terrace.

Roel Loopers