Page 2711 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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(Southlands) Group Centre, dated 6 July 2005, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I move:
That the report be noted.
Draft variation 255—Commercial C Precinct Rationalisation Mawson (Southlands) Group Centre and minor corrections to Part D definitions of terms—was considered by the committee at meetings held in June and July of 2005. Committee members and staff held a site visit to the Mawson Group Centre to discuss concerns raised by some other shop managers. Members spoke to the manager of the Mawson Botanicus Perfectus and to the proprietor of the Woolworths Mawson store, with a main focus on parking and access issues. Committee members also discussed in detail the proposed variation to the territory plan.
With the main concerns being the expansion of the Woolworths store into the existing car park, the committee gave careful consideration to additional car parking and adequate access for supply vehicles, and short-term parking for pick up and delivery of goods. In the proposed variation to the territory plan, in relation to development upon existing car parks, it states:
Development on existing public car parks shall only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that:
(i) overall provision for car parking meets the needs of the group centre as a whole in accordance with the ACT Vehicle Parking and Access Guidelines
(ii) it does not adversely affect the overall function of the group centre in terms of economic, social, traffic and parking, and urban design impacts.
After much consultation on car parking issues with the ACT Planning and Land Council, the council advised that the protection of parking should be made a condition attached to the sale of the land. The committee took this under advisement and is confident that ACTPLA will ensure that all the parking issues raised will be adequately dealt with in the development application stage.
There were also discussions with the National Capital Authority, the ACT Heritage Council and the Conservator of Flora and Fauna. Neither the National Capital Authority nor the ACT Heritage Council had issues with the proposed variation. The Conservator of Flora and Fauna was happy with the proposed variation, as long as the protection of significant trees was taken into account in the development proposals. Further to the committee’s consideration of the proposed variation, the issue of a direct grant of land was brought to the attention of members.
The committee was decidedly pleased with the application process and the assessment of the grant application by numerous ACT government agencies, including the Land Development Agency, as well as further consultation during the cabinet consultation process. The committee also notes that the proponent has commissioned numerous studies in support of his proposal. Some of the studies include a traffic study and a design brief that includes a new playground at the Mawson Group Centre. With these
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