Two-storey child care centre proposed for quiet area

A two-storey child care centre accommodating 81 children and 13 staff will be built over two blocks in a quiet residential area of Springwood St, Blackwall, if an application before Central Coast Council is approved.

The centre at 3-5 Springwood St, zoned R2 Low Density Residential, would operate from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and is expected to generate 65 car trips during peak hour, according to a traffic report submitted with the application.

The proposal provides 22 car parking spaces, a shortfall of five compared to planning provision requirements.

"The Development Control Plan requires the provision of 27 car parking spaces - with 14 for parent use and 13 for staff use," according to the report.

The staff parking will include "tandem" spaces.

The report gave figures which showed that if the peak hour demand was evenly spaced, each parking space would be available for 7.8 minutes at a time, which it claimed would "meet the peak demand for the site".

The application otherwise claims compliance with planning provisions.

It states the ground floor of the centre would include an office, meeting room, staff room, kitchen, laundry, three indoor play areas, shared children's toilet with nappy change station and outdoor play area via covered transition area.

The first floor would include two play areas with access to a craft station, store room, a children's toilet and a total of 285 square metres of unencumbered outdoor play area.

"The proposed built form will be compatible within the existing low density context of the immediate locality, compliant with prescribed maximum height and floor space ratio controls.

"The design scheme has undertaken a conscious effort to minimise adverse amenity impacts on neighbouring properties in terms of privacy, acoustic and overshadowing.

"This includes the siting and orientation of the building combined with compliance with setback provisions.

"Adjoining properties will continue to receive a minimum of three hours of interrupted solar access at mid-winter.

"Landscaping combined with fencing will screen and minimise the visual impacts associated with the at-grade car parking to neighbouring properties and to the streetscape.

"All trees within the site perimeter are recommended for removal owing to their location."

These include a Sydney blue gum with "scoring a high landscape significance".

"The existing street tree is to be retained."

However, the council's planning portal does not show a landscape plan for the proposal, nor are shadow diagrams provided.

Submissions close on January 20.

SOURCE:

DA Tracker, 30 Nov 2022

DA3572/2022, Central Coast Council