Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
joint ventured together, between the Catholic Church and the Church (now forthcoming local
family restaurant in same buildings) at the corner of Waratah Street. The assembled sites would need
to run through for a frontage onto and pedestrian access from Katoomba Street.
11.1.1 Project Siting and Design Brief
The Beverly Lane site and design emerged during the Charrette as a result of the enquiry-bydesign
process, and it seems to achieve best the Project Design & Siting Brief in Section 7.8.4
on the issue of supermarkets.
11.1.2 Proposed Charrette Design
Ideal to Strengthen the Town Centre’s Retail Balance
The Beverly Lane development and site described below is the preferred supermarket option
(see Section 7.8.3), as it most successfully would strengthen the retail structure of the Town
Centre, as explained below.
The Coles and Jewels development behind Katoomba Street on Pioneer Place cause the retail
condition of the Town Centre to be lopsided. By concentrating so much retail power, car
parking and attraction in the southwest corner, especially behind Katoomba Street rather than
fronting more directly onto it, the shops along the eastern side of Katoomba Street are put at a
disadvantage. This Beverly Lane development would ‘re-balance’ the two sides of Katoomba
Street and the Town Centre, positioning Katoomba Street favourably right between the two
supermarket location anchors. Being within walking distance of each other (and with the ‘ant
track’ between them crossing Katoomba Street) the new supermarket would provide positive
competition to the existing supermarkets rather than weakening the Town Centre, as the
Gateway proposal would have risked.
At the same time, this large development appears to be able to sleeve itself compatibly among
its neighbouring properties, if designed sensitively at the detail level.
Capitalises on Site Assembly to Benefit the Town Centre
This supermarket-focussed mixed use development had not been recognised as a possibility at
all, until Steve Goldie of the Charrette Team unexpectedly came up with it during the Charrette.
It creatively capitalises on how Beverly Lane penetrates the lower street block bounded by
Katoomba, Lurline and Waratah Streets, thereby giving internal access to a site formed by
assembling several properties. While it may be somewhat difficult to assemble these
properties, the benefits may justify the effort and profit the relevant owners, assuming they
choose to participate. There was not time during the Charrette to consult with the owners, but
they have been alerted to this possibility since then; decisions are yet to be taken. It may be
possible that other property combinations in the same vicinity of Beverly Lane could also work
in similar ways.
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