PAGE 99 2. The proposal is inconsistent with The Hills Corridor Strategy and Castle Hill North
8.0 Conclusion
The amended Planning Proposal Architectural Concept has reduced the number of storeys of the southern building on the site from 12 storeys to 8 storeys in recognition of the reduction in the number of storeys likely to occur opposite the site on the western side of Barrawarn Place as adopted in The Hills Corridor Strategy. The Hills Corridor Strategy indicates that
development on the western side of Barrawarn Place is likely to be 4 storeys in height. The Architectural Concept prepared by Giles Tribe has sought to ensure that the proposed development provides a strong 4 storey base to complement future development on the western side of Barrawarn Place with the next 3 storeys being setback and contains lighter coloured finishes with the 8th storey being constructed of lightweight materials and being further recessed into the building. It is considered appropriate for an 8 storey building to be located on the site as it will assist in providing a height transition for development as the distance towards the railway station and Castle Hill Town Centre reduces.
The subject site is wholly located within the 400 metre radius from the Castle Hill Railway Station and with future designated pedestrian links identified in The Hills Corridor Strategy and the potential for an additional pedestrian pathway through Morris Hughes Reserve and the Gay Street Precinct, the pedestrian route to the future railway station will be further reduced.
Nonetheless, the site is currently within a 10 minute walk to the Castle Hill Railway Station, which is considered convenient enough to be used for daily commuter purposes. This will have a significant effect in reducing peak hour traffic movements from the development site.
The Photomontage and Architectural Plans demonstrate that the proposal has a high quality of finishes and has been designed in a fashion to contemplate the likely future development in Barrawarn Place. It is important to note that the floor plans of the proposed apartment buildings have been designed in such a way that only bedrooms present to the rear boundary towards the primary school and windows along this eastern elevation will contain fixed louvered privacy screens to prevent downward looking into the public school.
The architectural plans demonstrate that it is possible for a high quality residential apartment building to be located on the site which provides a design that is consistent with the Apartment Design Guide in terms of amenity for the future residents of the development including solar access and cross ventilation and ensures that there is sufficient solar access afforded to surrounding properties. The proposal has been designed to comply with Council’s Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 apartment mix ensuring that a future development application is capable of being consistent with the desired future outcome for residential apartment buildings in The Hills Shire.
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P:\PROJECTS\9108B 1-13 Barrawarn Place, Castle Hill\Letters\9108B.3WG.docx
6
The amended scheme has reduced the floor space ratio to 2.59:1 and accordingly it is
requested that Council amend The Hills LEP by providing a 2.6:1 floor space ratio for the site.
Similarly, the height of the development has been reduced to 29.9 metres and accordingly it is requested that Council amend the building height limit for the site to 30 metres to facilitate the amended scheme.
It is therefore the recommendation of DFP Planning that Council forward this Planning Proposal to the Department of Planning & Environment to enable Gateway Approval for the Planning Proposal to allow it to be placed on public exhibition. Council will then have the opportunity to gauge the public interest in this submission and make decision accordingly.
DFP trusts that this letter addresses the issues raised by Council in its letter dated 2 June 2016 and in the Council report of 26 April, 2016, however should there be any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact Warwick Gosling on 9980 6933.
Yours faithfully
DFP PLANNING PTY LIMITED
WARWICK GOSLING
DIRECTOR Reviewed: ______________________
encl: Attachment 1 Architectural Plans
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PAGE 121
ITEM-6 PLANNING PROPOSAL 15-27 GARTHOWEN
CRESCENT, CASTLE HILL (10/2016/PLP) THEME: Balanced Urban Growth
OUTCOME: 7 Responsible planning facilitates a desirable living environment and meets growth targets.
STRATEGY: 7.1 The Shire’s natural and built environment is well managed through strategic land use and urban planning that reflects our values and aspirations.
MEETING DATE: 9 AUGUST 2016 COUNCIL MEETING
GROUP: STRATEGIC PLANNING
AUTHOR: TOWN PLANNER
ASHLEY COOK
RESPONSIBLE OFFICER: MANAGER FORWARD PLANNING STEWART SEALE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report recommends that a planning proposal to amend zoning, building height and floor space ratio applicable to land 15-27 Garthowen Crescent, Castle Hill (Lots 111 &
112 DP815789 and Lots 6 – 10 DP222257) to facilitate a residential flat building development not proceed to Gateway Determination.
The proposal is not supported on the basis that it is inconsistent with Council’s strategic planning objectives for future development of the Castle Hill North Precinct. The site has been identified under the Local Corridor Strategy for townhouse/terrace development outcomes which is a built form and density that is compatible for the existing townhouse development and the single lot housing adjoining to the rear.
While the Castle Hill North Precinct Plan recognises the capacity within the Precinct for higher density residential development opportunities, it also recognises the need for a diversity of housing types within Castle Hill and that some sites are not appropriate for high density outcomes due to size and locational constraints. Planning around the Castle Hill Station concentrates higher density housing outcomes in close proximity to the Castle Hill Centre and walking distance to the future railway station. Townhouse/terrace outcomes are available for sites beyond the walkable catchment and sites which are constrained by shallow lot depth, lack of amalgamation opportunities and interfaces with low density housing and sensitive land uses, such as Garthowen House.
Council has resolved to support the Castle Hill North Precinct Plan and Planning Proposal to amend Council’s LEP to reflect the outcome of the Corridor Strategy. If supported, this proposal would result in a high density built form outcome that is unsuitable given the site’s constraints and locality, would not contribute to housing diversity and would not comply with Council’s policy outcomes for the Castle Hill North Precinct.
Furthermore, if this density was supported, would not be able to be adequately serviced with the local infrastructure.
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PAGE 122 APPLICANT
Mr Tony Merhi OWNERS
Mr Y Zhang and Mr P Y Jin Mr R R Patel
Mr E Rossi and Mrs L Rossi Ms O E Rizzardo
Liang & Sons Pty Ltd POLITICAL DONATIONS Yes
THE HILLS LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN 2012
CURRENT PROPOSED
Zone: R3 Medium Density Residential R4 High Density Residential Maximum Height of
Buildings: 9 metres 36 metres (11-12 Storeys)
Maximum Floor Space
Ratio: N/A 2.7:1
HISTORY 20/01/2015 –
27/02/2015 Public Exhibition of the Draft Castle Hill North Precinct Plan.
22/09/2015 –
20/10/2015 Public Exhibition of The Hills Corridor Strategy.
20/11/2015 Current Planning Proposal lodged with Council.
24/11/2015 Adoption of The Hills Corridor Strategy and Council’s recommendation to forward the Castle Hill North Precinct Plan for Gateway Determination.
29/01/2016 Castle Hill North Planning Proposal was forwarded to the Department of Planning and Environment for Gateway Determination.
04/04/2016 Meeting with Applicant regarding various planning proposals currently under assessment.
02/06/2016 Letter to Applicant regarding issues identified from preliminary assessment.
15/06/2016 Meeting with Manager Forward Planning, Town Planner, Applicant and Architect regarding submitting a revised development concept.
24/06/2016 Meeting with Group Manager Strategic Planning, Manager Forward Planning, Applicant and Consultants to discuss and provide feedback on amended concepts for each of the sites.
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PAGE 123 18/07/2016 Email to Consultant to confirm preferred development concept option.
28/07/2016 Preferred development concept formally submitted by Consultant.
REPORT
The purpose of this report is to consider a Planning Proposal to amend The Hills Local Environmental Plan 2012 (LEP 2012) which rezones the site from R3 Medium Density Residential to R4 High Density Residential, increase the maximum building height from nine (9) metres to 36 metres and apply a floor space ratio of 2.7:1 to the site.
1. THE SITE
The site, known as 15-27 Garthowen Crescent, Castle Hill, comprises seven (7) allotments, being Lots 111 & 112 DP815789 and Lots 6-10 DP222257. The site is located in the eastern portion of the Castle Hill North Precinct and is approximately 500 metres walking distance from Castle Towers Shopping Centre and future Railway Station.
The site has a total area of approximately 6,822m2.
The site is irregular in shape and has a 133 metre frontage to Garthowen Crescent. The site is constrained by a shallow lot depth ranging from 27 to 49 metres. The site is steep and falls to the north, with a 12 metre height difference across the site.
The surrounding area is currently characterised by low and medium density developments and features a heritage item, known as Garthowen House, which is currently operating as a child care centre. The site is zoned R3 Medium Density Residential under LEP 2012 and currently accommodates seven (7) residential dwellings and one (1) secondary dwelling.
Figure 1
Aerial View of the Site and Surrounding Locality 2. PLANNING PROPOSAL
The original development concept submitted by the applicant proposed two (2) 13 storey residential flat buildings with a total of 242 residential apartments consisting of 85 x one (1) bedroom units, 119 x two (2) bedroom units and 38 x three (3) bedroom units (resulting in a density of 355 dwellings per hectare).
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PAGE 124 Figure 2
Original Northern Elevation Plan
Figure 3
Photo Montage of Original Development Concept
The amended planning proposal seeks to facilitate a residential flat building development by amending LEP 2012 to:
1. Rezone the site from R3 Medium Density Residential to R4 High Density Residential;
2. Increase the maximum building height applicable from nine (9) metres (which would allow for up to approximately three (3) storeys), to 36 metres (which would allow for up to 11-12 storeys); and
3. Apply a maximum floor space ratio of 2.7:1 to the site.
In support of the planning proposal, the applicant has submitted a revised design concept illustrating the intended future development outcomes for the site in accordance with the proposed LEP amendments. The development concept, seen in Figure 3, proposes two (2) residential flat buildings from an eight (8) storey frontage to Garthowen and 10 storey presentation to the rear with a total of 185 residential apartments consisting of 67 x one (1) bedroom units, 94 x two (2) bedroom units and 24 x three (3) bedroom units (resulting in a density of 271 dwellings per hectare).
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PAGE 125 Figure 4
Amended Northern Elevation Plan
Figure 5
Photo Montage of Amended Development Concept
While the applicant has attempted to consider Council’s concerns regarding the planning proposal, it is considered that the amended plans are still far in excess of the built form and density envisioned and considered appropriate for the site. The visual impact dominance and overlooking of the adjoining properties to the north is significant and
“dwarfs” recently constructed apartments nearby along with the single dwellings to the north. It is considered an inappropriate interface and scale for the locality being at the zone interface with the R2 low density zone.
Residential Flat Building DCP
Controls
Amended Proposal
Original Proposal 1 Bedroom Apartments No more than 25% 36.2% 35.1%
2 Bedroom Apartments No controls 50.8% 49.2%
3 Bedroom Apartments No less than 10% 13% 15.7%
Table 1
Comparison of Apartment Mix
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PAGE 126 Furthermore, the amended development concept does not comply with Councils preferred apartment mix, with the concept including substantially more one bedroom apartments than desired. There is a significant drop in the number of 3 bedroom apartments from the original concept to the amended concept. The 1 bedroom apartments reduced by 18 apartments with 67 remaining in the concept, while the three bedroom apartment reduced by 14 with only 24 remaining. The revised concept indicates a development outcome that is less likely to meet the needs of families than the original concept. However, the proposal is complaint with Council’s preferred apartment size, with the majority of units ‘type 3’.