Revised plan reduces five units to four
A revised multi-unit development application has been lodged for 140 Trafalgar Ave, Umina, with the original five units reduced to four.
The layout of the original proposal was for an old-fashioned gun barrel design with a driveway extending the entire length of the site.
The previous applications attracted a large number of adverse submissions from the public.
These mainly concerned the lack of a section 4.6 statement for the Floor Space Ratio overrun (0.55 as opposed to the allowable 0.5); the "moonscaping" of the site including the removal of four mature trees, the lack of green infrastructure and the large number of variations including all setbacks, private open space placement on front setback, lack of off site visitor parking, and overshadowing to the neighbouring property on the south side.
The general feeling seemed to be that at five units this would have been an over-development of the site.
The new proposal has an L-shaped driveway with two in line units at the front of the block and two in a "duplex" configuration at the back.
The area of concrete driveway has marginally decreased from 230 square metres to 225 square metres, the large size mainly due to the addition of a visitor parking space in the front setback and a large expanse of concrete between the two residential blocks.
The front setback has been increased to 7.2 metres but incorporates a visitor parking space, normally not allowed under the planning provisions.
The application claims compliance with side setbacks but has requested a variation for the rear setback which at 3.7 metres does not comply with the requirement of 4.5 metres.
While the number of units has decreased from five to four, the BASIX report says the total number of bedrooms has increased from 13 to 16.
The original five units consisted of three three-bedroom and two two-bedroom units.
However, this proposal is for four units of "four-plus" bedrooms, according to the Basix report.
The application states that the units only have three bedrooms.
Perhaps one is categorised as a "study".
In order to avoid placing, a private open space on the front setback which is specifically forbidden by planning provisions, the new layout proposes a large proportion of these areas be in the form of first floor balcony space.
All four existing trees are still planned to be removed, with the application stating that "Shade trees can be provided as the required two native street trees."
Nowhere in the documents is it indicated exactly where these trees could be located.
The application is currently open for written submissions until December 6.
SOURCE:
DA Tracker, 10 Nov 2024
DA/2056/2023, Central Coast Council