Booker Bay townhouse frontage dominated by garages
A six-unit townhouse development proposed for Booker Bay would have a ground level street frontage dominated by garages and driveways, and have a floor space ratio greater than that permitted by planning provisions.
It would have parking within the front setback, contrary to planning objectives.
It would also require the removal of two trees on site as well as one street tree, and may affect the viability of four trees on a neighbouring property, according to an arborist's report.
Protective measures would be needed to protect another street tree.
The proposal would consolidate two house blocks currently fronting Booker Bay Rd, and would re-orient the development to have a Bogan Rd frontage.
However, the development application is for the construction of a new multi-dwelling housing complex with the address 173-175 Booker Bay Rd, Booker.
The proposal, submitted by Chris Scaife and prepared by Wales and Associates Urban Design Partners, seeks consent to demolish the two existing single dwellings on the combined 1,391.2 square metre site, zoned R1 general residential, and to erect six two-storey attached townhouse units, each containing three bedrooms.
The application seeks a "variation" from the planning provisions to increase the floor space ratio from the permitted 0.5:1 to 0.534:1, an increase of 6.9 per cent.
The application states that compliance "is considered unreasonable or unnecessary" because the proposed design achieves the objectives of the planning provisions.
The applications claims the site's prominent corner location justifies the variation, allowing for a "high-quality development that enhances the streetscape".
It also argues that, if meeting the planning objectives, the proposed development did not have to "have a better environmental planning outcome for the site relative to a development that complies with the standard".
It claimed "the absence of environmental harm is sufficient to show that compliance with the development standard is unreasonable or unnecessary".
The application states that the proposal "sits comfortably within the environmental capacity of the site by not having any unreasonable or measurable impacts on surrounding development, as can be seen particularly in the sun view diagrams".
The front boundary setback with Bogan Rd is proposed at 5.6 metre which complies with the required setback, with dwellings at 52 and 54 Bogan Rd noted being set back approximately 4.5 metres.
The proposed side setbacks are respectively 1.8 metres on the northern boundary and three metres for the southern boundary at Booker Bay Rd.
The rear setback, which is where the private open spaces will be located, is proposed to be 6.78m.
Vehicular access is proposed from Bogan Rd, with the application detailing three separate 7.0 metre wide double driveways servicing double garages for two units each.
While vehicles would enter in a forward direction, they would reverse onto Bogan Rd to exit.
Another six car spaces would be sited within the front setback area, located parallel to the front boundary, for a total of 12 car spaces.
Planning provisions state: "Car parking should be designed in sympathy with the development and not become the dominant feature on the streetscape."
This has previously been interpreted by council planners as not allowing parking within the front setback.
A traffic impact assessment estimates the development will add approximately two vehicle movements per hour during peak periods, which it claims will not unduly impact the surrounding road network.
Two trees on this site are proposed for removal, a mango and a frangipani.
A third located within the Booker Bay Rd nature strip would also be removed.
Another street tree, a mountain ebony, would require "tree-sensitive construction methods" to be retained.
Four trees located on an adjoining site would require "non-destructive root investigations to determine their viability for retention".
A landscape plan indicates that a total of four new trees will be planted, four bangalow palms and one coastal banksia.
The application claims that the proposed multi dwelling housing development will look better than the "poor built quality" of the dwellings they replace.
"The construction of high-quality residential accommodation will lift the architectural standard of the immediate precinct."
This development application is currently open for written submissions from the public, closing on July 11.
SOURCE:
DA Tracker, 14 Jun 2025
DA/673/2024, Central Coast Council