2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                13 JANUARY 2020


Building 4 (office building) – setback and building height
Setback
The applicant has provided a minimum setback of between 1.75m to 4.49m to building 4 (office
building) adjacent to Hofmann Drive. Building 4 is proposed as a gateway building with the
applicant suggesting this setback is provided to activate this portion of Hofmann Drive. Specific
Outcomes O95 and O105 of the Noosaville Locality Code seek that development is internally
focused and is not reliant on the major road network for exposure and provides vibrant and active
frontages with entry nodes strengthened by providing landmark treatments, which could support
the applicant’s setback. However, it is considered that while the proposal has frontage to the
internal loop road, the setback proposed is insufficient particularly given the re-profiling proposed
and the change in grade required for stormwater purposes at this location resulting in the
developments limited ability to interact with the streetscape.
Building height
The relevant Specific Outcome is:
O8 Buildings and other structures—
a) are low rise and have a visual bulk and an architectural scale consistent with structures on
adjoining or nearby land;
b) do not exceed a building height of —
      i. for the Attached Housing Zone 2 storeys unless located on property with frontage to the
      following streets: - Russell St, William St and Howard St, or Weyba Rd, James St and
      Albert St north of their intersections with Elizabeth St (as well as properties fronting Gympie
      Terrace or Noosa Parade between Weyba Road and Russell Street), where they are not to
      exceed a maximum building height of 3 storeys;
      ii. for the Visitor Mixed Use Zone– 3 storeys, although present only 1-2 storey façades to
      Gympie Terrace;
      iii. for the Shire Business Centre Zone– 2 storeys, except in Precinct E1 and E2 where 3
      storeys and Precinct REC/MU where 1 storey; or
      iv. for all other zones— 2 storeys;
      c) do not visually dominate the street or surrounding spaces;
      d) preserve the amenity of surrounding land;
      e) ensure that development responds to the site topography; and
       f) are well articulated with strong horizontal and vertical design elements to provide an
      interesting streetscape and to complement landform changes and landscapes.
The Noosa Plan seeks a maximum building height of 2 storeys and 8m for precinct B3. As
indicated in Table 4 above the development complies with building height except for building 4,
the office building, which seeks 12m and 3 storeys. Council’s consultant architect suggests this
building has some good design elements and better designed than most of the balance of the
development.
However, Council’s consultant architect also advises:
The idea to use Building 4 (and building 2 to a lesser extent) as points of relief has some merit,
but these buildings are not located to shape sight-lines and instead disrupt visual cues for
pedestrians.
The design approach to Building 4 is an exception to the rest of the development. This building
has been reworked to include vertical fins (with a timber appearance) to provide some visual
interest as a landmark on the site, with reasonable amenity for users and pedestrians.



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