WVCC has joined with local residents to point out a number of issues with the Tradies DA.
ACT Planning and Land Authority
Actpla_customer_services@act.gov.au
PO Box 365
MITCHELL ACT
RE: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 201323585 (DA) WODEN TRADIES CLUB PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BLOCKS 13 AND 15 SECTION 3 PHILLIP – APRIL 2013.
Dear Sir / Madam,
Woden Valley Community Council wishes to comment on and object to the proposed development on the following grounds:
1 Incompatibility with Woden Town Centre Master Plan
The Woden Town Centre Master Plan identifies height controls of two to five storeys in this precinct with a general objective to ensure that “the public realm is not adversely affected by overshadowing and wind shear resulting from inappropriately located building mass”.
The Town Centre Plan envisaged town apartments in the core area (which does not include the site of the proposed development) of four to ten storeys in height with the upper storeys stepped back to maintain a ‘human scale’ streetscape.
The proposed development is therefore not consistent with the Woden Town Centre Master Plan.
2 Overshadowing of residential areas on western side of Melrose Drive
The shadow diagrams accompanying the Development Application, indicate that the proposed development will create significant overshadowing in Winter mornings, not only of the adjacent block to the south (and thus restricting future development opportunities in this location) but also of the Bellerive residential development to the west of Melrose Drive.
The plans accompanying the Development Application indicate that the apartments in the residential towers have primarily an east or west orientation. The lack of a north facing windows to the majority of apartments clearly does not optimise solar access.
3 Inadequate traffic and roads planning
The proposed development, together with the proposed 850 car parking spaces on the adjoining Block 16 will concentrate significant traffic movements on Furzer Street, as well as on the intersection between Worgan Street and the main arterial roads of Launceston Street and Melrose Drive.
The continuing, ad hoc development of the Woden Town Centre is producing cumulative effects that have not been adequately considered by either TAMS or ACTPLA.
4 Bed-rock under site
WVCC understands that the building may not be able to be built as planned, due to the exceptionally hard rock underneath the site. The proponents should be required to undertake further investigation of this aspect.
For the above reasons, the Development Application should not be approved.
Yours sincerely
Dr Jenny Stewart
Chair
WVCC
12 July 2013