Save Our Seafront

Velvet Vocals

(Not sure if I'm posting in the right place so please mods, feel free to move)

Save Our Seafront has called a major public demonstration on Sunday May 15th to protest against the Council plans to build and 8-Story apartment block and shopping complex on the site of Dun Laoghaire Baths.
The protest was organised following a packed public meeting of over 200 local residents who agreed a major campaign of opposition to the council plans.

The huge development involves 180 exclusive apartments, 336 car spaces an da shopping complex. This will privatise a major section of the seafront, block the sea vies and destroy the unique seafront vista.

Save Our Seafront an dlocal residents are calling on councillors and TD'S to STOP these outrageous plans. We want the redevelopment of the baths as fully public seabaths and water amenity no more then 3 story's in height.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE PROTEST ON MAY 15TH

The council broke their promise to consult the public on the future for the baths and drew up these plans in secret

The council are spending your money sending 5 councilors and 5 officials to Bilbao to study their seafront! Yet they never bothered consulting local residents here about what we wanted

At over 200,00 sq feet, the 8 story apartment and shopping complex is bigger then the enormous B&Q warehouse on the M50!! It will destroy public sea-views and the unique coastal vista from Sandycove to the East Pier.

If they put high-rise private developments on the baths more will follow on Blackrock baths, The west pier, The Harbor Cottages, The Carlisle Pier, Sandycove baths, Bullock Harbor and Killiney Beach.

The Council say there will be a public water amenity underneath the huge apartment block but remember they also promised a skating rink on the Pavilion development and that never happened!

The scale of the development will cause further traffic chaos in Dun Laoghaire which already lacks a traffic management plan.

The councillors have the final say on this plan. We MUST put huge pressure on them and vote against these plans.

The seafront and baths belong to everyone. We should not have to had them over to private developers just to get a swimming pool built. If the council could afford to run the baths from the 1920's to the 1970's, they can afford to run them after 10 years of the "Celtic Tiger"

Contact your local councillors and TD's to protest and join the demonstration on Sunday May 15th - Assemble 2.30pm at rear entrance of Peoples Park, Dun Laoghaire. Bring Family, friends, neighbors and kids. Banners, placards, flags, whistles welcome

Chalk

Saint Something wrote:

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE PROTEST ON MAY 15TH

The council broke their promise to consult the public on the future for the baths and drew up these plans in secret

www.dlharbour.ie wrote:

The Dun Laoghaire Branch of the Green Party is jointly organising a public meeting on Thursday next, April 28 at 8pm in the Kingston Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. The meeting has been arranged to discuss the proposed development of Dun Laoghaire Baths. Those present will also be given a visual presentation of the Council's plans for the Baths and the surrounding area.

This is the very start of the public consultation process in relation to the Baths. In order for public representatives to influence the development and represent the public's views, we must know what those views are. The views of those living outside of Dun Laoghaire are also important as what eventually gets built on the site will set a precedent for future development in the surrounding area and along the coast.

can you not just go to the meetings?
i meant they harldy kept it a big secret if its posted on the internet

and what about the whol development?

The core of the proposal is an international standard waterworld and indoor leisure complex which includes a 25 metre pool and extensive leisure and sports facilities; new civic plazas, suitable for ice-skating in winter and outdoor concerts in summer; the existing inaccessible foreshore between the derelict baths site and the East pier would be transformed into a new public Maritime Garden, as large as the nearby People’s Park and a new 400 mt. coastal promenade which could continue uninterrupted between Sandycove and the East Pier. The new amenities will be sheltered from the prevailing north/east aspect of the site by 180 apartments, shops and restaurants, underground parking and a 10-storey elegant glass tower “lighthouse” at the Sandycove end of the site, with a public viewing area at the top.

Velvet Vocals

Well, I don't know a huge amount about it, all I know is that I was there last night and saw the plot and they plan to land fill the entire space between the east pier and the baths, which would just be terrible. If they make it 8 story's high it will block all the pretty houses from view from the front and block their views out to sea.
I'm all for development of the area as it needs to be used to it's full potential, I just really don't think that building something 8 story's high and filling in water space is the way to do it.
As for the meetings in secret, I was taking that from a news letter for local residents that read, which might have been wrong. Doesn't change the fact that these are plans that people don't like. It's all very reminiscent of the pavilion development, which is a big disappointment!

Funkstard

I've just looked over the slideshow and the whole thing looks fantastic IMO. Restoring the baths wouldn't work; they wouldn't be used enough to justify the cost and unavoidably only a certain age group would end up going there, stopping other ages going because of a stigma

(Think about it, it'll either be known as full of old people, for kids or for rowdy teenagers, effectively ruling out other ages using it)

It's time to move forward, and from the plans it looks fantastic. Apart from the pool there will be a mini-waterpark and a 'seasonal recreation area' (icerink/rollerskating) aong with spas, saunas and a 'keep fit' promenade walk. IMO this is just the thing Dún Laoghaire needs to establish itself as am attractive area.

About the height, at some point or another the buildings are going to go high in Dún Laoghaire. It's inevitable with the recent renewal and increased attractiveness of the town. From the plans it blends nicely with the seafront (as well as possible, it't still an 8 story building) and overall looks like something I'd be proud of to have in my area.

If the council keep to their promise of having plenty of public amenities in it, I'm all for it.

Velvet Vocals

Funkstard wrote:

(Think about it, it'll either be known as full of old people, for kids or for rowdy teenagers, effectively ruling out other ages using it)

Isn't that just every age group except yours...

Funkstard wrote:

If the council keep to their promise of having plenty of public amenities in it, I'm all for it.

I think it looks like a monstrosity... IMO, but the amenities do look good... I felt that way about the plans I saw for the Pavilion though and the council didn't keep their promise there, I really don't have any reason to believe they will this time!

Sarsfield

I think it looks teriffic! It would be a major asset for Dun Laoghaire. As well as the revenue it would generate for the local economy it would be a tremendous facility for local people.

I can't understand the objections, except for a tiny number of people who might have their view impaired from their own homes. Is their view more important than the benefits offered to the rest of the local community?

Funkstard

Isn't that just every age group except yours...

I'm a rowdy teenager.

It will up the whole image of Dún Laoghaire which, lets face it, is still known as full of scumbags (which it is). Something like this will generate huge revenue and be a prime showcase of the 'new' DL

hatrickpatrick

DL isn't full of scumbags. It was, apparently, back in the 80's (I'm 16 now so I wouldn't know) but it isn't now, at least, I've never met any except late at night, and even then, only one or two...

grimloch

How did the protest go btw? Personally the last thing I want down there are more bloody apartments.

Lukiebaggs

I think the whole thing is absolutly rediculous.

I am a sea front resident in Dun Laoghaire and have a great sea view. I've lived here for 15 years and I'm telling you The proposal really isnt that unreasonalbe. Check it out yourself: view the slides.

http://www.dlrcoco.ie/baths/index.html

I'm not bias - I'm a student and have nothing to do with the council. All I'm saying is Ive attended a few of these SAVE Our seafront rallies, and the SOS campaingers are engaging in as much misinformation as they claim the council has. Example:

They claim our seafront will be ruined, our terrific views lost, they say the structure looks out of place and will ruin the sky line, that acsess to the sea will cease.

What a lode of bollox.

Look at the plan, the building sits across from the peoples park, therfore blocking no views, sea will be reclaimed adding room for increased leisure and recreation facillities includeding a far larger, modern and high tech swiming facillities, AND a huge public park area with a skating rink and trees. <- that is what lies at low level infront of the existing houses. <- A Park - DEAR GOD - Save our Seafront!!!

The proposal adresses previous requests of joining the coast walk directly to the pier, it redevelops land that hasnt been built on since the 1930s such as the concrete monstrosities that lie at sea level to the south of the pier. This area currently is delapated - its concrete and falling apart from nearly a century of weather erosion - this area needs redevelopment - and it in the current sceme thats exactly what it gets.

The Campaingers and exploiting the fact that the council didnt advertise their plans. Great - fair point. But that doesnt give them the right to put things out of context and exagerate - further misleading and confusing the public - most of which seems to be elderly affluent residents and familys (the only ppl who can afford to live directly on the Dun Laoghaire coast- I might add). These ppl were mislead and I dont agree with that.

The Save our seafront doesnt even have a single link to the Proposal plan website. People should look at the plan and make up their own mind. My opinion is the plan is self maintaing, it will vastly improve upon what was origionally built on that location, it will revitaise the recreation facillities, add residential and commercial space and NOT block access or view to the sea on any level.

And Finally, The building is large and modern and stands out boldly in the georgian domenated coastline, but such is modern architecture and that can't be ignored - nor can one overlook the fact that Dun Laoghire shopping center is a 1960s concrete monstrosity and multistory office and residential buildings up to 6 stories high already exist all along the south dublin coast - this is not the first, dont let the the campaigners fool you. Look around, make your mind up, and decide for yourselves.

Sarsfield

Looks like the protestors have won.

By the sound of the interviews on the news it was a victory for jealousy and begrudgery. People were glad there wouldn't be any apartments there. Why? Because the occupants would have a nice view? No mention of any real downside. The upside was a leisure centre and other amenities. But Oh No. Not if it meant wealthy people being allowed live somewhere better than other people. Reverse snobbery.

Or am I entirely wrong?

Velvet Vocals

I just think that this looks totally wrong for the location. It might look ok somewhere else but not there. I'm not against modern buildings or anything, but I think for the way the town already looks they should build something thats more fitting.

I really don't think that people are getting annoyed about this because it's housing for "rich people" I mean, a lot of houses in Dun Laoughaire are worth millions and anyone that I spoke to on the march were genuinely concerned about the sky line and the views and the way their town looked.

Funkstard

What was the result of the planning permission meeting tonight? I missed the news

Velvet Vocals

it was shelved. They are going to look at 5 other plans for smaller developments instead. and it'll take ages coz they'll have to have a meeting for each one and then a meeting to talk about what they've looked at, then another meeting to talk about the previous meetings, then one to decide which one they all like best, then one to pick which one, then a meeting about the one that they've picked. and then it'll all start again coz they'll pick the most obstructive one and the residents will object and it'll be back to square one. I could just be being pessimistic though......