Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
10.3.1 Project Design Brief
This development should comply with the following Project Design Brief:
The Project should retain the historic west facade of the Carrington, although awnings and
other features such as discreet balconies and or verandahs may be added, subject to State
Heritage approval;
The premises should have street level working gallery spaces open to the public during
normal business hours, or should somehow admit the public on a regular basis, frequently
enough to support an active life of the Arts in the district;
The premises should incorporate upstairs and or loft residences for the artists or their
associates;
The street level windows shall be clear glass with no curtains or shades except for optional
protection from the western sun during the summer and for night-time use, especially to
keep the winter cold out;
Municipal on-site car parking requirements should not be applied to the development of
this project, beyond provision of limited parking for residents, as many of the visitors to
this development will have parked elsewhere in the Town Centre, or on Parke Street.
Action 10.3.1 - Facilitate development of this project or a similar concept, as per its Project
Design Brief above.
10.4 New TAFE Facilities to Gain Stronger Arts Focus and Residential
Additions
The New TAFE is the educational complex on the west side of Parke Street, across from the Carrington.
During the Charrette many stakeholders expressed support for the New TAFE to expand its
educational focus further into all the Arts.
This TAFE is a collection of different style and scale buildings, ranging from a historic primary school
at its core, to an old cottage at its south end, and to relocatable class-rooms in the north. It is
presently not fully used, as many TAFE functions have recently been relocated to a new complex in
Wentworth Falls. The TAFE on this Katoomba site has capacity to increase its range of classes.
The Charrette concluded that retention of TAFE facilities in Katoomba was vital, and probably on this
centrally located site, as it brings people into the Town Centre. However, an option preliminarily
considered during the Charrette of relocating all or some of the TAFE activities to the Renaissance
Centre should also be supported. This option would open this TAFE site up to other development
and/or uses that could also complement the Town Centre.
It was also noted that there seems to be relatively under-utilised land along the western and southern
edges of the property, enjoying excellent distant views in both cases. Vandalism was reported to be
quite problematic for the New TAFE, as virtually every week-end some new graffiti or other acts of
vandalism were reportedly committed there. This problem might be addressed by introducing
residential development along the extremities of the site, whose residents would be present at night.
Their presence would discourage further vandalism, as well as support the Town Centre with
additional close-in population. These residents might or might not be part of the Arts teaching
endeavours. The residences could, for example, be short-term accommodation for visiting teachers
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