MANDURAH city councillors are recommended to endorse a plan for Halls Head which would see a bulky goods store and residential lots built at Lot 505 Hungerford Avenue, despite the community opposing the development.
The city received 68 submissions opposing the proposed development, predominately against the bulky goods item which looks to be Bunnings Warehouse, while many cited a range of issues including the impact of local business, traffic, noise and loss of vegetation.
But according to the report prepared for councillors ahead of Tuesday night's meeting to discuss the proposal, those concerns were related to a future development, and not the Precinct Plan itself which is up for approval.
"The aim of the Precinct Plan is to provide for a mixed use/main street based town centre and provide a planning framework to guide future development/redevelopment of the Halls Head District Centre and to consolidate commercial and retail activity within the centre," the report reads.
"It is considered the revised design offers an improved interface and visual separation between the residential and service commercial uses via a landscaped boulevard and public open space uses."
Under the proposal, changes would be made to the former Precinct Plan to allow a bulky goods development in place of residential lots.
It was seen that due the Halls Head Shopping Centre's extension, homes abutting the centre would not be practical, and as such, a buffer was needed between the two which will now come through a roadway.
"Bulky goods development will be sleeved from existing homes on Hungerford Avenue by proposed residential development that is predominantly rear loaded which will minimise future driveway crossovers along Hungerford Avenue," the report reads.
"Approximately 7500sqm of bushland is proposed to be retained adjacent to Hungerford Avenue and Penola Way.
"It is therefore considered that the proposed modification will have minimal impact on the residential character and amenity of the area.
"It is therefore recommended that Council grant final approval to proposed Modification 2 subject to the landowner of Lot 505 Hungerford Ave providing a one third contribution towards the construction of a signalised intersection at Old Coast and Mandurah Roads and an additional notation being placed on the Precinct Plan requiring further detailed assessment of the proposed integration between the proposed and existing road network, to ensure the safe movement of pedestrian and vehicles."
A final decision on the Precinct Plan will not be made until the next full council meeting at the end of the month.
Councillors will raise the item for discussion at Tuesday's meeting where a preliminary decision will be made.
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