Revised plans for 1 Yacaaba St apartment building fail to address concerns.
The applicant for a residential apartment building on the corner of Yacaaba and Donald Streets has changed the design for a second time, supposedly in response to earlier feedback. Compared to the original DA, 4 units have been removed (now 56), the top floors set back slightly and the façade made ‘wavy’, but although it is now 9 rather than 10 storeys, it is still over 30 metres high and still has a very high floor space ratio of 2.84:1. The amount of parking provided has actually been reduced (by 36 spaces)!
This image (from the DA) demonstrates the visual impact, by reference to the existing buildings to north and south.
TRRA thinks it is still far too high and bulky and inconsistent with the town character objectives of the Nelson Bay Strategy. It is still more than twice the existing height limit and nearly 3 metres over even the new limit adopted by Council in September (but which has yet to be confirmed). The proposed new limit is in any case supposed to operate alongside other controls to address view corridors, overshadowing etc, and we think this proposal fails on numerous counts.
We urge concerned citizens to make another submission, by 14 March, objecting to the proposal. Goto http://bit.ly/2lqv2Cm to have your say on DA 2018-386.
This monstruosity will be out of place in the Nelson Bay environment. This is much too high for our town centre, it dwarfes every other building around, and it is not a good sight as show on the drawings provided.
Buildings height in most successful seaside towns in NSW are limited to 5 storeys, and we should keep the same rules here. Hasn’t the Council learned its mistake in according an 8-storey building in Church street where construction has been stopped for ages because it does not sell?
This proposal is really disappointing in so many ways!
Firstly the height of this building will not only intrude on the accepted levels of buildings already erected in Nelson Bay, but it is an outright sleight of hand by the developers to even submit this proposal, knowing that it is ‘still more than twice the existing height limit and nearly 3 metres over even the new limit adopted by Council in September’.
Secondly, submitting a proposal like this smacks of a blatant and aggressive disregard of the thoughts and concerns of the residents and visitors who come to Nelson Bay to enjoy the more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of this community.
And finally, the clever and original amphitheatre design of Nelson Bay with taller buildings to the rear of the business and residential zone has worked so well for the community. Let’s keep what works!
If the greedy acquisition of both land and air space by developers is not stopped here, Nelson Bay as we love it will no longer exist and we and our children will be forced to abandon the Bay to leave all those who love concrete and shadows to revel in their excesses!