Gun-barrel application reveals discussion with planners
An application for a three-unit multi-dwelling development at 148 Railway St, Woy Woy, has revealed pre-lodgement discussions with council planning staff.
The normally secret discussions are not disclosed by Central Coast Council and are seldom mentioned by applicants.
The application, prepared by Chris Blyth of Just Screw It, show how the discussions led to non-complying private open spaces for two of the three-bedroom units.
It also shows why a turntable has been included in the driveway which stretches almost the entire length of the old-fashioned gun-barrel design.
The application reveals that at the pre-lodgement meeting held on October 9, council planners stated: "The design of the development should be redesigned so that all of the proposed private open spaces associated with the dwellings are to be located on the ground floor and directly accessible from internal living areas, as the proposed private open space on the first-floor area will not be supported."
The application shows the plans were changed.
"The first floor open space has been deleted in favour of larger ground floor courtyards achieving contextual or better amounts of private open space compared to the locality."
It states: "A minor non-compliance with the DCP (planning provisions) is proposed in relation to courtyard areas."
Units 1 and 2 have open space areas of only 40 square metres, less than the 45 square-metre requirement.
"However, a contextual development is achieved in relation to this item, noting that the site is a sandwich lot and cannot be amalgamated," it states
The R1-zoned site has an area of 695.6 square metres and a width of 15.24 metres.
The 170 square metre driveway and a 15.8 square metre visitor car park take more than a quarter of the site area.
"All courtyards appear greater in size than those associated with adjacent medium density development.
"It is understood that the 45 square metre courtyard standard came about after local government amalgamation and originally applied to another locality.
"The proposed private open space is appropriate, sufficient and well-suited to the context."
The application says that council planners also stated at the pre-lodgement meeting: "A Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment is required to demonstrate that the proposed development has adequate onsite car parking and vehicle manoeuvrability."
The application states: "A turntable has been incorporated to enable forward exit from the bottom of the driveway.
"This is supported in the accompanying report from Terraffic Pty Ltd which includes swept path diagrams."
The proposal includes off-street parking for six cars.
At 7.6 metres, the proposal is well below the allowable height of 11 metres.
The floor space ratio is claimed to be also compliant at 4.97:1, just less than the maximum 5:1.
The site coverage requirement of 25 per cent of soft surface is claimed to be achieved at 190.6 square metres.
The proposed front setback of 6.6 metres is claimed to be more than the average setback of adjoining buildings.
The proposal requires the removal of three on-site trees, a jacaranda and two cypresses, which is described in a "supportive" arborist report.
"A landscape plan also accompanies the application introducing replacement plant material to the site."
The landscape plan details the planting of six trees on the site.
The application is currently on public exhibition and open for written submissions until May 31.
SOURCE:
DA Tracker, 11 May 2024
DA/511/2024, Central Coast Council