Planning Report · MCU18/0094

Project Urban – 17655                                                                              June 2018

exercise, Wattle Street has been identified as the front boundary of the site and the frontage to
Garnet Street has been treated as a side boundary. This approach is considered to be justified
given that the frontage to Wattle Street is 53.6m compared to 20.12m to Garnet Street, the
development is orientated towards Wattle Street and the development is required to take access
from Wattle Street.

         Boundary         Required Setback                    Proposed Setback        Complies
         Front            6m                                  4.1m to Wattle Street   No
         Side             Half the building height in         4.6m to ground floor    Yes
                          metres calculated at the            and 7.59m to upper
                          same point provided that            floor adjacent to
                          on any gable roof the               Garnet Street.
                          calculation shall be                6.19m to northern
                          measured to half the                boundary.
                          height of the gable
         Rear             6m                                  6.5m                    Yes


The Table identifies that the proposal does not comply with the minimum setback requirement to
the front boundary and as such, an alternative solution based on the overarching Specific
Outcome O8, is discussed below. To provide some context for this discussion it is relevant to
note that although the buildings do have a minimum setback of 4.1m to the front boundary this
setback only applies to the middle portion of each pair of dwellings. This section of the building is
two storey and has a length of 19m. Either side of this central portion of the building, the external
wall of each townhouse steps back to 6.837m. At ground floor level the space created by this step
in the building design is used as a covered patio area. In summary, the minimum setback of 4.1m
only applies to just under 30% of the total length of this frontage. The balance of the building
exceeds the Council’s preferred minimum 6m setback distance.

Specific Outcome O8 reads as follows:

   O8 Buildings and other structures are appropriately designed and sited to—
         a) provide amenity for users of the premises as well as preserve the visual and
         acoustic privacy of adjoining and nearby properties;
         b) preserve any existing vegetation that will buffer the proposed building from
         adjoining uses;
         c) allow for landscaping to be provided between buildings; and
         d) maintain the visual continuity and pattern of buildings and landscape elements
         within the street.

Comment: The proposed setback to Wattle Street is assessed against each element of O8 below:

         O8(a) requires that amenity is provided to residents as well as preserving the visual and
         acoustic privacy of the site. The proposal has been designed to take advantage of the
         prevailing breezes and to provide protection from the western sun and as such, the private
         open space areas are located on the eastern side of each unit, adjacent to Wattle Street.
         As a result the development has had to balance the privacy of future residents with the
         need to create an attractive frontage to the street. The Landscape Concept Plans show
         that this has been achieved by providing a planting palette that will provide privacy for the
         private open space areas and enhance the appearance of the site from the street. In
         addition, the orientation of the development towards Wattle Street will help to maintain
Development Assessment Report                                                                    Page 17 of 27
Material Change of Use (Multiple Housing - Type 4 Conventional)
15 Garnet Street Cooroy QLD 4563
Lot 901 on C56011