Qormi Offic Development PDS PA 2939-19
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION STATEMENT To construct a mixed use medium rise commercial block. Comprising of the excavation of the site and construction of a 3 storey car park (183 spaces) and showroom (Class 4B) below street level and a 13 storey office block (Class 4a) above street level. The existing old building in Triq l_Erba’ Qaddisin c/w Triq il-Belt Valletta will be retained and façade restored Qormi PA 2939/19 ___________________________________________________________ June 2019 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 The Site 5 General descriptions of the Site 5 History of the Site 6 Land Use Policies 9 Present / Surrounding Land uses 12 Building heights 12 Objectives 13 3 Proposed Development 15 General objectives of the Development 15 Physical Characteristics of the Development 15 Timing of the Development 19 Usage of Raw Materials 19 Renewable sources of Energy 19 Vehicle Circulation, Servicing and Public Transport 19 Transport Routes to and from Site 20 Employees 20 4 Cultural Heritage 21 Historic Farmhouse 21 Visual Amenity 23 Impact on the visual of the surrounding site 23 5 Proposed Services 24 Energy efficiency and water conservation measures 25 6 Proposed Construction Operations 26 7 Proposed Environmental Operations on Site 31 Effluent discharges 31 Waste storage and handling 32 Waste recovery or disposal 32 8 Expected Generated Waste Streams 33 The Construction Phase 33 Generation of wastes from the proposed office operations 34 Generation of Municipal wastes 35 Grey and sewerage effluent 36 9 Water Management 37 10 Potential Impacts and Mitigating Measures 39 11 Conclusions 40 ______________________________________________________ Appendix A 42 Appendix B 44 Appendix C 46 Appendix D 48 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This document presents a project description statement (PDS) for the construction of offices and a small commercial outlet at an exisitng site in Qormi which is already fully committed for urban development as per PA 836/10. The latest application bears a tracking number PA 2939/19 and was submitted by Mr. Joseph Portelli (The Applicant). The site is currently occupied by an old farmhouse and a vacant plot of land and its status and location are displayed in the aerial photo below. Photo 1: An Aerial photograph of the Site at Qormi 1.2 This technical report has been compiled in accordance with the Guidelines for a Project Description Statement , issued by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA ). The design of the proposed project is the responsibility of Perit Annamaria Attard Montalto. 3 1.3 This document outlines the operations and the possible impacts together with the proposed mitigation measures which this proposed development might have in the site area. It also provides guidelines for sound operations of the facility to be sustainable and effective. 1.4 The PDS has been prepared in accordance with Regulation 5 (1) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2007 (Legal Notice 114 of 2007). 1.5 The objective of this planning application is the transformation of the site to have an office development which will integrate with the existing business community within the area. 4 2.0 THE SITE General Descriptions of the Site 2.1 The site proposed for development, is triangular in shape, having an area of approximately 3,846 square meters, is located within the limits of development boundary and has frontages on Triq Hal Qormi (an arterial road) to the south, Triq il-Belt Valletta to the north, and Triq L- Erba’ Qaddisin to the west. The site currently consists of undeveloped land with the only structure on site being an old agricultural building having an area of approximately 250 sq.m. The site present access is from Triq L-Erba Qaddisin. 2.2 The site in question is characterised by derelict agricultural land, which has recently undergone soil clearance as instructed by the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage in view of the approved development permit PA 836/10. 2.3 The site’s surroundings are characterised by commercial, residential and industrial development on the eastern, northern and westerns sides, as well as a large area dedicated for sports and leisure activities on the southern side. 2.4 It is to be noted that the adjacent areas are zoned as areas of mixed use as outlined in the Grand Harbour Local Plan. 2.5 At present within the site area there is an old agricultural building having an area of approximately 250 square meters and located along Triq l-Erba’ Qaddisin c/w Triq il-Belt Valletta. The existing farmhouse will be retained, as per CHAC’s recommendation (Minute 31 - PA 836/10) and will form part of the commercial development through its conversion into office space. The new building’s design is such that the farmhouse will be completely isolated from the rest of the development (as also required by CHAC – Minute 31 – PA 836/10), linked at its ground floor level to Level 1 of the proposed development. 5 History of the Site Planning History 2.6 The area in question has been subject of a number of planning applications of which details are outlined in Table 1 below. Table 1 List of Site Development applications submitted to the Planning Authority Case Number Location of Description of works Applicant Architect Decision development Site at Ta' L-Erba Qaddisin Introduction of service road in Mr Joe Withdrawn Mr. Joe PC/00040/08 kontrada Ta' L- lieu of front garden and public Bugeja obo by Cassar Istabal, Triq Hal- open space. M.J.S. Applicant Qormi, Qormi. Proposed commercial Site at, Triq Hal- development to include Qormi, Triq l-Erba showroom at ground floor, Mr Joseph Perit Joe Grant PA/00836/10 Qaddisin, Valletta overlying offices and Bugeja Cassar Permission Road, Qormi basement parking spaces and storage. Phase 1 Works_ To demolish accretions to existing old Site at, Triq Hal- structure-structure is being Perit Qormi c/w Triq l- retained. Removal of rubble Annamaria PA/04742/17 Erba Qaddisin walls, uprooting of trees and Eric Saliba Pending Attard c/w, Triq Valletta, removal of soil. To excavate Montalto Qormi, Malta site and construct 2 underground parking levels. Upgrading of junction. To excavate the site up to three levels below Triq Hal Site at, Triq Hal- Qormi, accommodating two Perit Qormi c/w Triq l- levels of car parking as well Federico Annamaria PA/07446/17 Erba Qaddisin Withdrawn as a showroom. To construct Rossi Attard c/w, Triq Valletta, an office block within a Montalto Qormi, Malta medium-rise building and to retain the existing old building. 2.7 Planning Control application PC 40/08 proposing the introduction of a service road in lieu of front garden and public open space was submitted to PA. The service road was considered unacceptable in view that it did not allow for a pavement plus un/loading. However, it must be noted that a Planning Control permission PC 7/08 proposing the amendment of policies CG14, BK04, QO03, QO04 and SV01, and Maps BKM2, SVM1 and QOM1 of the Central Malta Local Plan. This application refers to two blocks with frontages on Triq il-Belt Valletta for which the change in zoning of the area from the originally designated industrial area into a mixed-use area was being proposed. PC permit granted on 13/11/2008. 6 2.8 A planning application PA 836/10 was filed and eventually approved by PA for the construction of a commercial development consisting of a showroom at ground floor, overlying offices and basement parking spaces and storage. The approved building is organised on 8 levels, due to the sloping nature of the site, consisting mainly of 3 floors plus basement levels and an overlying penthouse level from highest street level. 2.9 In 2017 the urban development proposal was changed of a 13-storey building supplied by a three-level basement parking level. A section of the proposed building is presented in diagram1 below. 7 Diagram 1: Proposed Elevation from Triq L-Erba’ Qaddisin The current applicant has redesigned the proposed development in accordance with the existing Floor Area Ratio policy. The developable land use area was worked as outlined in Table 2 below. 8 Table 2 Floor Area Ratio workings for the proposed Development Land use Policies 2.10 The site is located within a Mixed-Use Area with the whole frontage onto Triq l-Erba’ Qaddisin allowing the provision of overlying residential units and the rest of the site designated as a Mixed-Use Area without residential units, as indicated in Map QOM1 of which a copy is presented in the diagram below (amended policy Map, 2008). 2.11 The whole site has a designated building height limitation of 3 floors plus semi-basement, as indicated in Map QOM3 which stipulates that; 2.12 The area fronting Triq il-Belt Valletta as indicated in the Qormi Area Policy Map is rezoned from terrace houses to the development of industry (Classes 11 and 12 of the Use Classes Order, 1994). Development permission for new residential development in this area will not be granted. 9 2.13 The area of land fronting Triq il-Belt Valletta that is zoned as a green area in the TPS (1988) is being designated for the development of industry (Classes 11 and 12 of the Use Classes Order, 1994). 2.14 Although the existing block was zoned for terrace houses in the TPS (1988), it has already been predominantly developed into workshops and industries. As such this area is not suitable for the development of new residential units and is being rezoned accordingly. 2.15 The green area that was zoned in the TPS (1988) cannot function as a public recreational area due to its location surrounded by an industrial zone and since it is evidently cut off from the residential areas of Qormi by major traffic routes.