With more and more multi-unit developments entering the growth zones of Lilydale, some residents have labelled their beloved town the ‘ghetto to the Yarra Valley’.
The phrase was used by Baker Street resident Jack Klaver, who said the on-street parking, traffic congestion and overdevelopment on the street have created safety issues and a lack of pride in where he lives.
His neighbour two doors down, Gerry, still owns one of the few properties that has been left untouched, but is losing his privacy as construction next door encroaches on his fence and balconies overlooking his yard are built.
The block next to Gerry’s will have seven units, while across the road, one development is nearly complete, with two more blocks cleared and set for units.
“I’ve lived here for 50 years and now the council is pushing me out,” he said.
Aged 87, Gerry said, “at my age, I can’t go anywhere”, but with the growing lack of privacy, he said he feels like he’s being forced to leave his home.
His brick house with a well-maintained garden both back and front, was one of the original houses in this part of Lilydale.
“When I came here, it was all empty. The other side, they’d started to build,” Gerry said.
When the development bordering Gerry’s fence was approved at 18 Baker Street in April 2023, a Yarra Ranges Council spokesperson said it followed Clause 55 of the ResCode, stating that “bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and balconies were required to be screened to a height of 1.7 metres above finished floor level with no more than 25 per cent transparency”.
A section of Gerry’s fence was removed during construction without notice, large stabilising steel beams have been erected abutting his fence, and construction workers can see directly into his yard.
“It affects people’s quality of life, and this is definitely affecting (Gerry’s) quality of life. I feel sorry for him. At the end of the day, he either deals with it, learns to live with it, or he moves,” Jack said.
The council said compliance action could be taken should the screening not meet requirements, and that other methods like fencing, obscure glazing, fixed screens or landscaping treatments can also be used to achieve privacy.
Understanding that the area between Cave Hill Road and Victoria Road has been zoned for residential growth, Jack said, while accepting the need for housing, it feels like there were no provisions for on-street parking, traffic management and safety.
“Everybody’s got two cars, because they’re both working, and you can hardly get out of your driveway some days,” he said.
“There should be some restrictions on cluster development. The council says it’s zoned, but it’s their responsibility as well.
“And if somebody gets killed here coming out of their driveway, because cars just use this as a through road, some of them fly up here. You can’t see them half the time. If you’re coming out and there are cars on both sides, it’s really dangerous.”
Jack had to start placing notes on car windscreens the day before their Friday bin collection because the garbage truck would be unable to reach the curb.
Four years ago, Star Mail spoke with Paul Di Ludovico, who has lived in the area of McComb, Blair, Slevin and Kerr Streets all his life.
His major concerns in 2021 related to the street congestion caused by a lack of parking on the blocks being developed and the out-of-character facades and roof lines.
At the time, Yarra Ranges Council director of planning, design and development Kath McClusky said the council did not have the authority to require additional parking in a development.
Under the planning scheme, dwellings built with two bedrooms only need to supply one car spot, while three-bedroom dwellings require two car spots.
McComb and Blair Streets had also been recognised as level two access streets, meaning they should be able to sustain two to three thousand cars.
Getting back in touch with Paul, he said the same issues and challenges remain.
On the day he spoke with Star Mail again, he’d just driven down Wilsons Lane, where construction workers were parked in a no-standing zone during school hours.
“The council has issued (the workers) permits. How can they do that when there’s children so close to a main road, where children can’t even be seen,” Paul said.
According to the construction workers, they had been issued parking permits, but in a response from a council spokesperson, they said the “council’s parking permits do not override existing safety signage, such as No Standing zones.
“Council will investigate any reported misuse and take enforcement action where necessary.”
While an isolated scenario, Paul said other challenges are just as concerning, one in particular being the inability of emergency vehicles to safely attend jobs or navigate the streets.
“These streets need to be made into one-way streets. If the council is serious about safety and about the congestion on our streets, make one-way streets so emergency services can get through these streets,” he said.
The council spokesperson said all streets begin as unrestricted, but assessments, monitoring and community feedback inform the necessity for restrictions to “improve safety, access, turnover and traffic flow”.
“Parking Investigations are triggered by community feedback on parking issues and involve consultation with key stakeholders,” they said.
“As part of these investigations, the council conducts parking occupancy surveys during weekdays and weekends to assess usage. If peak occupancy exceeds 85 per cent, restrictions may be introduced.
“If safety issues such as narrow roads that restrict vehicle movement are observed, No Stopping restrictions may be considered.”
Other restrictions that may be considered include time-limited parking, improved signage and education campaigns to promote safe driving and pedestrian awareness.
But for Paul and Jack, they feel as though many of the challenges have been ignored in the early stages of planning and development.
“The lack of infrastructure that they’re putting in. There’s no car parking. There is no drainage. It’s overdeveloped. The overlooking issues that we have regarding properties side by side. It’s just disgusting,” Paul said.
“You’re just changing the character of Lilydale; this street is going to be a ghetto. It used to be a good blend of units and houses, but it’s all gone out the window now. We’re 40km from the CBD, and it’s like living in Richmond,” Jack said.
“It’ll be the ghetto to the Yarra Valley soon.”
