DESPITE councillors rejecting an application to build an eight-storey retirement village, hospice, medical facilities, showroom and more on a Leisure Way site in Halls Head in December 2013, a successful appeal has been lodged by the developer.
The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) has ordered city councillors review modifications to the Halls Head Town Centre Precinct Plan despite more than 60 residents previously writing to the council in opposition of the development.
The site, at Lot 90 Leisure Way, (backing onto Old Coast Road and Mandurah Road in Halls Head), was to have three retirement buildings of at least four storeys; potentially up to eight storeys each in total, a four-storey hospice and associated facilities including a physiotherapist newsagent/florist, hairdresser and more, a 12,000sqm commercial showroom with parking for 270 vehicles, a new entry and exit point onto Mandurah Road and a 6.5-metre service road for delivery vehicles.
That application was refused last year but due to a successful application to SAT, a number of mediation sessions have since been held with modifications made to the original plan.
According to a report for councillors to discuss at Tuesday's council meeting, "whilst not confirmed, the previous plan appeared to be designed for a particular bulky goods tenant; this proposal seeks to provide for a number of bulky goods retailers".
"The key difference to be previous plan is development providing a frontage to Mandurah Road and Old Coast Road with customer/visitor parking in the front of the site; this area was previously shown as a retirement/hospice residential uses," the report read.
Another "significantly better outcome" for the site is the transition in density of housing in a bid to provide a link between existing homes and the proposed site.
"The current plan has some additional benefits over the previous plans insofar as it presents a potentially greater length of ‘active frontage’ to the adjacent public domain and tucks the larger area of parking deeper into the site away from the public domain," the report states.
"The current plan also offers greater flexibility in subdividing the building into numerous tenants and, thus, breaking down the perceived bulk and scale of the development."
But given the recent approvals for bulky goods showrooms in Lakelands and a neighbouring Halls Head site, the need for more retail space is expected to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting.
Roads surrounding the site would also be upgraded should the proposal move forward with Glencoe Parade adjoining with Old Coast Road at a new intersection, Mahogany Drive adjoining with Peelwood Parade via a roundabout and Balmoral Parade receiving an extension past Hungerford Avenue.
Councillors are recommended to adopt the revised plan for advertising with any submissions for or against the proposal to come at a later date.
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