Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
This large shelf of land in the rear of Telstra and the Church (above name again) enjoys
spectacular views east across the town below and out to the distance. So close to the centre of
town, this space in the rear seemed a golden opportunity, again, to benefit both the Town and
Telstra.
It also suggested the possibility of a pedestrian link though the rear of the Telstra site up to
Katoomba Street, in along a length of this street block with very limited east-west pedestrian
access.
The Council car park next door to the south of the Telstra property is heavily used. However, it
presents an unpleasant streetscape of bitumen and parked cars to Katoomba Street, and
contributes to the 90 metre-long gap of inactivity noted above. Furthermore, the Council
mens toilets at the rear of the car park lack surveillance and may not be ideally located for ease
of access and safety. Citizens have reportedly been accosted there, and many do not regard
these toilets as safe or pleasant to use.
Access Issues
The best opportunity to provide car access to this rear development site is through the Council
car park. This can be legally done. In addition, if semi-mature trees were planted between
every three car spaces, the car park would more resemble a short street than a car park.
10.8.2 Project Design Brief
Development on the Telstra and Council Car park sites (hopefully, the following would need to
be seen by Telstra as a benefit to them as well as the Town while retaining Telstra’s necessary
functions and access from Katoomba Street, develop a hopefully two-storey building with an
active frontage (eg street level shops) in front of the existing building, along the Katoomba
Street footpath;
relocate the Council toilets to the front of the property and make them safer and more
pleasant to use and walk past;
develop the rear of the Telstra Property (and possibly the adjoining Church land) with
access via the Council car park, medium density residential and possible home-based
businesses and/or secondary businesses at the Lurline Street level, in order to add live-in
population to the Town Centre and increase its vitality and safety at night through passive
surveillance. Capitalise on both proximity to the Town Centre and on the eastern views.
Public pedestrian access should be provided between Lurline Street and Katoomba Street,
by means of stairs up from Lurline Street, through this development, and then to Katoomba
Street via Council’s public car park. Disabled access should be provided for the ground
level units via Katoomba Street, where the grades are easier;
provide car access to the rear of the Telstra site through the Council car park.
10.8.3 Proposed Charrette Design
The proposed Charrette design complies with the Project Design Brief above, for what appears
to be a clear win/win both for Telstra and for the Town Centre.
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