minutes - City of Stirling

MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL
18 SEPTEMBER 2012
Certainly, employment density in offices is generally high, ensuring that there will
be many people at the site during the day with people moving around and
activating the area, particularly at lunch times.
Overall, the mix of uses at ground floor level will be:
Showrooms 539m 2 22%
Warehouse 438m 2 18%
Offices 1,494m 2 60%
8. In March this year, Council apparently approved an “Office” use in premises next
door at the corner of Balcatta Road and Geddes Street. This development is
single storey and therefore, the office was approved on the ground floor.
Moreover the approved office occupies the entire Balcatta Road frontage as well
as a large section of the Geddes Street frontage. Overall, offices in the building
occupy 864m 2 or 63% of ground floor space. Details are:-
Offices 864m 2 63%
Lunch Bar 156m 2 12%
Workshop 344m 2 25%
Under Scope Property Group’s revised proposal, only the side street (Kenhelm
Street) frontage and 25% of the Balcatta Road frontage will be used for
showrooms. They feel that there is considerable inconsistency in the way their
proposal is being assessed versus what has been approved next door –
particularly when the respective land use percentages are compared.
9. The stretch of Balcatta Road on which the subject premises are located; (ie east
of the Bunnings outlet) is simply not a showroom area. Ground floor offices are in
fact consistent with the existing land use pattern in the locality (and indeed,
consistent with previous approvals issued by the City).
In other localities, showrooms tend to congregate along particular sections of
major roads where they can “feed-off” one another and allow comparison
shopping. This situation does not apply to the eastern leg of Balcatta Road.
For the above reasons, Council is asked to favourably reconsider this proposal
having regard to the changes which have been introduced to meet the City’s
planning objectives. We are hopeful that Council will give its approval to the
modified floor plan enclosed."
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