Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
property to be re-developed. In terms of the site’s contribution to the Town Centre, the
property acts relatively like a ‘hole’ in the urban fabric (compared to its potential) despite its
present operation as a hardware and building supplies store.
Potential Uses and Sources of Value
This site is valuable due to its exposure to passing trade on the highway. Because the site is
also across the street from and just north of the rail line and station, it is a candidate for both
commuter car parking and tourist car parking, as well as overnight tourist accommodation or a
range of commercial uses. The site is big enough for a reasonably efficient car parking layout,
on grade or in a multi-deck. Also, the public street which it fronts is wide enough to
accommodate head-in parking on at least one side. The Charrette noted that Katoomba may
be able to support a health-oriented indoor sports/recreation facility, and that this site might
accommodate such.
The site has been the focus of concerns about a McDonalds or other fast food restaurant
moving into the Blue Mountains. There was broad agreement that a fast food outlet in that
location, especially with a drive-through and an image not specific to Katoomba, might be
profitable for the owners but would be a detriment to the Town Centre.
View and Orientation Issues
While the site is hard to see from the highway in its present one-storey development, set about
7 metres below the highway, it could be developed in several storeys to become more visible
from the highway, and might even block views of the historic Town Centre if too high. The site
is clearly visible from Yeoman’s Bridge and from Main Street across the railway. As opposed to
the SRA Goods Yard Site (see above), the Goldsmiths site does not enjoy good northern
sunshine, due to the 7-metre retaining wall on its northern boundary.
Adjoining Property to the East
The site adjoins an under-utilised parcel owned by Jane Young, which might either function
well as an assembled part of the Goldsmiths property, or as an extension of the Gearin’s
operation. A public right of way extends northward to the retaining wall and highway, between
a row of tall trees on the Gearin’s side and this parcel on the west.
9.2.2 Project Design Brief
The Goldsmiths Site (and the adjoining parcel to its east) should comply with the following:
The ‘buildable envelope’ of the development should not extend so high or in such a
configuration that it substantially blocks views of the Main Street crescent from the
adjacent length of the Great Western Highway (however, small parts of the building could
block such views).
The design of the building should relate to the character of the buildings in the historic
northern end of Katoomba, especially any elevations visible from the Highway, Station
platform or Main Street/Yeoman’s Bridge.
If the roof is below the Highway level and many people would look down onto it or over it,
the roof itself should, if feasible, be designed to create interest and to respect the
traditional pitched roof character of larger historic buildings.
Development of the site, for any use or combination of uses, should support the Town
72