World Square (Cnr Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney)
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ITEM 6: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION: ‘SITE C’, WORLD SQUARE (CNR PITT AND GOULBURN STREETS, SYDNEY) FILE NO: D03/00469 DATE: 7/5/04 SUMMARY Date of Submission: 11 June 2003 and amended plans received on 16 October 2003. The application was reported to and deferred by CSPC on 13 November 2003. Revised plans were submitted on 29 January 2004. Development Application No: DA 2003/00469 Applicant: Latitude Project Pty Ltd Proposal: The revised Stage 1 Development Application seeks consent for the following: a. A building envelope comprising a podium and tower elements above an approved (and partially constructed) two level podium with an approximate height of 104 metres above Goulburn Street / 102 metres above Pitt Street (RL117); b. A floor space ratio of 6.6:1, which equates to 24,888 sqm GFA, comprising, 6,231sqm of commercial and 18,657sqm residential floor space; and c. Use of existing parking levels and access from Goulburn Street. d. Waiver of the required competition prior to the lodgement of a Stage 2 DA. Jurisdiction: The CSPC is the consent authority for this application as the cost of works exceeds $50,000,000. Summary Recommendation: The Stage 1 development application is recommended for a deferred commencement approval, subject to conditions amending the proposed envelope. 03469#2.DOC002 7/5/04 12:21PM Attachments: A - Location Plan B - Selected Drawings C - 3D image of locality D - View Analysis Information E - Resolution of CSPC of 13 November 2003 Development Controls: (i) Central Sydney Local Environmental Plan 1996 (ii) Central Sydney Heritage Local Environmental Plan 2000 (iii) Central Sydney Development Control Plan 1996 (iv) Draft Central Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2002 (v) SEPP 11 – Traffic Generating Development (vi) SEPP 65 – Design Quality of Residential Flat Development (vii) Draft SEPP 66 – Integration of Land Use and Transport BACKGROUND Deferral of matter by CSPC 1. This application was considered by the CSPC on 13 November 2003. At that meeting the following resolution was made: That arising from consideration of a report by the Specialist Planner to the Central Sydney Planning Committee on 13 November 2003, in relation to Development Application 2003/00469 made by Latitude Project Pty Ltd for the site at ‘Site C’, World Square, 644-662 George Street (cnr Pitt and Goulburn Streets), Sydney, for a Stage 1 building envelope, comprising a tower element with a podium (above an approved and partially constructed two level podium) including a maximum building height of RL111.250 and Floor Space Area of 25,888sqm and land uses comprising a mixed commercial and residential building, it be resolved that owing to concerns of the Committee on the proposed variation to the existing Master Plan and its impact on the urban form of the Master Plan area, and the impact it will have on surrounding properties, consideration of this matter be deferred until matters raised at the meeting are addressed; such as whether a further decrease in height than recommended would achieve a superior urban design outcome to outweigh the negative impacts on outlook and amenity of apartments in the Hordern Towers. 03469#2.DOC002 7/5/04 12:21PM 2. At that time the proposal involved a commercial podium with residential tower envelope that mainly differs from the current proposal by the relocation of the residential/tower envelope to the west and south of the site and extending it into a narrower north-south rectangular form. 3. This report relates to the revised Stage 1 envelope submitted by the applicant in January 2004 in response to the CSPC resolution. 4. The applicant has also now requested an exemption/waiver under Clause 28D(4) of the Central Sydney Local Environmental Plan 1996 to the requirement for a competitive design process prior to the Stage 2 DA. The Site and Surrounding Development 5. The subject site (known as Site C) is located on the south-eastern corner of the ‘World Square’ Development site, on the north-western corner of the intersection of Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney. See location plan at Attachment A. 6. Site C has a total site area of 3,757sqm, taken by the ‘footprint’ of the original envelope and is a separate stratum lot. However, when DA consent was given, it was part of a wider site having an area exceeding 20,000sqm. The DA consent for World Square gave approval to a total gross floor area of 258,562sqm, which has been “capped” on subsequent sites/subdivision. 7. Located on the site is the completed slab of a two level retail podium (known as levels 9 & 10), above eight levels of basement car parking. 8. Work is presently underway on levels 9 and 10 to complete the retail component of the World Square site. 9. To the north are the residential Hordern Towers and the Avillion Hotel. To the north-west is World Tower presently nearing completion and to the west is the ‘Latitude’ commercial development, which is presently under construction and is to be mostly occupied by ‘Ernst and Young’. 10. To the south, across Goulburn Street are the Mandarin Club and CB Hotel. 11. There are two mid-level (17 storeys) high rise buildings on the eastern side of Pitt Street, between Goulburn and Liverpool Streets. ‘The Chambers’ at 363 Pitt Street has a roof top height of RL79.45 with the plant to RL86.40. The Civic Hotel, on the north-eastern corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets has a roof top height of RL70.03, with plant to RL77.03. 12. The subject site is located in an area which has a mixed commercial/residential/ retail/entertainment focus, with a future retail focus at this site on street levels. History of Development Applications Relevant to this Site 13. In April 1987 approval was granted by the then Minister for a redevelopment of the site comprising a five level podium covering the World Square site and four towers of differing heights above. This was further modified by an application lodged in 1988 and referred to as the 1988 Master Plan. 03469#2.DOC002 7/5/04 12:21PM 14. In 1995 Stage 1 application (commonly referred to as the 1995 Master Plan), DA 95/00811 was lodged for the World Square site. This DA was approved by the CSPC on 25 March 1996 superseding the 1988 Master Plan and modifying the building form and height across the site. The Master Plan was for the redevelopment of the entire World Square site and approved five major stages: (1) Stage 1 – A retail podium and carpark (for 2,500 vehicles); (2) Stage 2 – Hotel/Residential tower on the corner of Pitt and Liverpool Streets (the Avillion Hotel and Hordern Tower Apartments); (3) Stage 3 – Low rise serviced apartments on the corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets (the site of this DA); (4) Stage 4 – Commercial tower on the corner of George and Goulburn Streets (the Latitude office building under construction); and (5) Stage 5 – Residential tower on the corner of George and Liverpool Streets (World Tower nearing completion). The 1988 Master Plan The 1995 Master Plan (as approved 25/3/96) 15. In 1997 DA 96/00729 was approved for an 11 storey hotel on the subject site, identified as Stage 3 in the Master Plan. This application was never enacted. The height of the approved hotel was RL68.9, excluding the lift motor room. 16. D/00/00570 and D/00/00571 for a Stage 2 and Stage 1 applications respectively, approved a commercial building on this corner with a height of RL68.9. Both consents lapsed in June 2003 and January 2003, respectively. 03469#2.DOC002 7/5/04 12:21PM 17. The 1995 Master Plan was modified in May 2002. Modifications affected the subject site (Stage 3) by approving a new building envelope and a change of use from serviced apartments to commercial offices, while retaining the approved 25,888 GFA. Photograph 1: Site viewed from the south west looking north east across Goulburn Street. 18. In November 2002, DA 2002/00377 was granted approval for a Stage 2 DA for an 11 storey commercial office building (in a ‘H’ Shape) comprising 25,888sq m GFA on this site, to a height of RL65. DA 2002/00377 also included the approval of Stage 4 of the 1995 Master Plan, the Ernst & Young commercial tower, now under construction. 03469#2.DOC002 7/5/04 12:21PM 19. The approved development at this site (Stage 3) includes a commercial office building of 11 storeys in height above Pitt Street, with an overall height of RL65.15, and a ‘H’ plan form that covered most of the site. Essentially the current Development Application (D2003/00469) seeks to change the form of the building envelope from a lower broad design (i.e. 11 storey ‘H’ building as approved in D2002/00377) to a tower form. This consent lapses in November this year. 20. CSPC approved a s.96 application for modifications to internal layout of the retail podium (Stage 1) in December 2003, which included the transfer of 1000sq m from this site to the retail podium (Stage 1). Subsequently only 24,888sqm can be constructed on this part of World Square. Pre & Post-lodgement Development Application Discussions 21. The CSPC were first briefed on this matter on 16 July 2003. 22. The applicant was subsequently advised of concerns raised by the CSPC regarding the proposed increase in height of the building envelope. Amended plans were requested that established a podium height that matched the heights of the neighbouring podiums and consequently resulting in a lower overall height of the tower, by the transfer of floor space from the tower to the podium.