Council urges refusal of 18-unit Farnell Rd proposal
Central Coast Council has recommended the Local Planning Panel reject a multi-dwelling proposal for the corner of Farnell and Blackwall Rds, Woy Woy
The application by Apex Smarthomes Pty Ltd is for a two-storey multi-dwelling housing development including 18 residential units, secured garage parking, private courtyards and advanced landscaping and subsequent strata subdivision.
The proposal would consolidate five allotments and would be built in two stages.
Council planners gave six reasons for refusal, including failure to provide information and non-compliance with planning provisions.
"The proposal has not adequately detailed its impacts and has not demonstrated that it promotes best practice in the design of multi dwelling housing.
"Insufficient information has been provided to adequately demonstrate that the new development does not compromise ... the intersection upgrade plan and requirements.
"The proposal does not comply with or has provided insufficient information to address car parking, articulation, open space, communal open space, residential address, facades, landscaped areas, stormwater, garbage bin enclosures, preservation of trees or vegetation, water cycle management, car parking and waste management."
"Insufficient information has been provided, particularly for engineering and waste management matters."
The council report stated that the proposal exceeded the maximum floor space ratio of 0.61.
"A written request to vary the development standard has not been lodged and accordingly there is no power to approve the application."
It also stated: "The proposal is not consistent with the provision of the Draft Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2018 in regard to the zone objectives and the FSR development standards."
The recommendation was considered at the Local Planning Panel meeting on Thursday, October 28.
Objector Mr Frank Wiffen addressed the panel, speaking in favour of the council recommendation.
Mr Wiffen said that he and many other residents were not against all development.
"In fact developments such as this one where several properties are consolidated are infinitely preferable to gun-barrel developments, as long as the space saved was used to increase liveability not to cram in even more dwellings.
He said that if each of the five properties consolidated for this proposal had been "gunbarreled" separately, there would be a total of 15 dwellings.
In this case, the developer was trying to build 18, an additional three.
The Panel had not announced its decision as Peninsula News went to press.
SOURCE:
DA60666, 28 Oct 2021
Agenda item 5, Local Planning Panel