Angelico Street Development - Woodlands WA

City of Stirling Notice to Residents https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9_pim3_iUkGY1V4VF9aZ1JqNEE/edit

City of Stirling Design Guidleines
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9_pim3_iUkGdmFkd0ZSallXamM/edit

Angelico Street Elevation
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9_pim3_iUkGMEJWSVNTcmRveXM/edit

Sabina Street Elevation
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9_pim3_iUkGRUNEcndzTE92TVk/edit

Detailed Area Plan: Redevelopment of priory and parish centre and a new retirement complex
Lot 7, Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 17 Angelico St Woodlands WA 6018

I urge the City of Stirling to seek amendment to the above Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and place conditions on the development such that the following issues are addressed.

1 Height of buildings
The proposed redevelopment includes three and four storey buildings close to the lot boundaries on Sabina and Angelico Sts with undercroft carparks, effectively making them four and five storey buildings. They do not conform to the city’s Local Planning Scheme No3 (LPS3) which states that development of Private Institution zones “shall be restricted to two (2) storeys above natural ground level adjacent to lot boundaries”. They are inconsistent with LPS3 objectives which state that development must be “sympathetic to the scale and bulk of surrounding properties”. There is no precedent for buildings of this height in the surrounding streets and they are totally out of character. This is not a high density area but consists predominantly of quality family homes and lower-height schools. The maximum height of the street-facing buildings needs to be set at two storeys above natural ground level.

2 Inadequate setback
According to the LPS3, developments on Private Institution land shall have front setbacks of 6.0 metres. Neither of the two street frontages to this development have 6.0 metre setbacks in the current DAP. This does not conform to the LPS3 requirement that setbacks match those of adjacent and/or adjoining lots. The adjacent church has a greater setback than that of the proposed development. Narrower setbacks do not allow for sufficient trees, gardens and shrubbery which are needed to help blend and soften the impact of the development on the surrounding area.

3 Incompatible design and appearance
The design and façades of the buildings, as illustrated in the DAP, do not in blend in with the residential style and character of the surrounding area and they significantly detract from the visual appeal of the iconic stone church next door. They are inconsistent with the LPS3 guideline that states that “the portion of the development facing the street shall be orientated towards the street (eg entrances, windows and balconies facing the street) to soften the ‘institutional’ feel of developments and achieve greater consistency with surrounding developments”. This is very clearly not the case in the current plan. Woodlands is not a commercial area like Osborne Park or Innaloo. Large commercial-looking façades are not compatible with the surrounding environment and are not sympathetic to the area aesthetics.

4 Diminished appeal of the suburb of Woodlands
Buildings of this height, bulk and form will be detrimental to the suburb of Woodlands as a whole. As the block is on a hillside, the high buildings will be clearly visible from many points in the suburb and will impact negatively on property values and saleability of property. The proposed development in its current form will detract from the appeal and desirability of Woodlands as a peaceful, wooded, lakeside suburb.

5 Increased traffic
Forty-seven (47) new residences will indisputably increase the traffic volume of surrounding streets with each new unit bringing one or two cars as well as recreational vehicles such as caravans/campervans and family, visitor, service and emergency vehicles. Angelico St currently experiences enormous traffic volume and congestion at peak times, catering to a combination of school and work-related traffic. Angelico/Sabina/Lombardy streets are already what is commonly referred to as a “rat run”, providing a thoroughfare for commuters from the northern suburbs. These streets pass two primary schools and their drop off/pick up areas and currently don’t cope with the current traffic levels at peak times. Any increase in traffic volume is inconsistent with both the LPS3 objective that “the efficiency of the local transport network is not encumbered by the development” and the LPS3 Streetscape Relationship guideline that developments “shall not cause a detrimental impact on the amenity of the surrounding lots in terms of traffic…”. This also applies to the Western part of Sabina St, currently a low traffic street, which will face significantly increased through traffic to the site’s access road. The number of apartments should be reduced accordingly, taking into account the nature and volume of traffic in surrounding streets and its adverse impact on both the drivers and the local residents.

6 Safety risks for school children and the elderly
There are three primary schools and three high schools in the area of the development, of which two primary schools are only 100m-200m from the proposed development. Students from all these schools walk, cycle, skateboard and scooter in the surrounding streets to and from school and large numbers of school children are dropped off/picked up from schools by parents. The addition to the immediate area of at least a further 47 aged residents, who may well have diminished vision, hearing and reflexes as pedestrians and drivers, along with the development’s visitor and service vehicles to the existing levels of city commuters and school traffic will certainly add significant risk of traffic accident causing injury or death to both the new residents as pedestrians and to local school children. An accident of this nature is not unforeseeable and an unmanaged traffic increase would clearly be directly attributable should an accident of this nature occur.

7 Inadequate parking provision
Already, during school rush times and busy church times (Masses, funerals, weddings, extra services) cars park and double-park along Angelico and Sabina Sts and along the verges of the proposed development. The new development will bring many visitors to the complex and the residents will require additional parking for recreational vehicles, such as caravans, in addition to their regular cars. The City of Stirling must carefully examine the resident , visitor and service vehicle parking provision within the complex to ensure that it adequately provides for all future needs and does not put more pressure on already overloaded street parking.

8 Threat to native trees and endangered species
The DAP claims that several “large” trees on the block will be retained. However, given the site works and excavation required for the undercroft carparks and the narrow setbacks, it is highly likely that many of these “retained” trees will not survive the building process. Although current plans illustrate numerous trees, these are an artist’s view and do not necessarily relate to existing trees. The City of Stirling needs to carefully audit the number of trees that will be retained and will realistically survive the site works, to ensure they are adequate to soften the impact of the buildings. Trees will protect the development from adversely affecting the streetscape, outlook and amenity of surrounding properties. Furthermore, allowance should be made for retention of more trees to protect the food source these trees currently provide for the native Western Australian Carnaby’s cockatoos, which are classified as “endangered”.

9 Diminished amenity for surrounding properties
The development in its current form will negatively affect the quality of life and amenity of local residents. The proposed buildings will dominate the streetscape and tower over existing homes, creating problems such as: loss of privacy; diminished sunlight and overshadowing; altered wind flow and loss of breezes; and loss of views and attractive outlook.

10 Devaluing of surrounding properties
Introducing buildings like this into an area of family homes will significantly devalue those homes, thereby reducing local residents’ equity in their properties. Site works and excavation may cause structural damage. The City of Stirling needs to do an assessment of unimproved property values on surrounding streets before and after the development and consider compensation options for the financial losses of nearby ratepayers should the DAP be approved.