Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

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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
Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy Centre and not detract from its economic viability, and should contribute positively to Katoomba’s Town entry in terms of its appearance and use/s. Development should not include a fast food outlet, especially one with a drive-through facility and/or an image relating little to Katoomba. Development should also involve improvements to the public street (Goldsmith Place) it fronts, including head-in public parking on at least one side, which should be counted to contribute to any parking required by that project. If not needed by the site, then this parking could be done by BMCC and/or SRA. 9.2.3 Proposed Charrette Design The Charrette Design complies with the Project Design Brief, but is only one of many possible development responses and uses, which could also comply quite well. Plan of Spa and Health Centre on Goldsmiths site, plus adjoining properties including the Gearin’s The Charrette Design is for a privately owned Katoomba Spa and Health Centre. The building’s configuration follows the curing retaining wall behind it, generating a distinctive glass roof that would hopefully favourably contribute to the Town entry’s image. Parts of the building are two storeys, but it does not in any way block the view of Main Street from the highway; one would look down onto the roof, which is designed to provide interest and to break up the bulk and blandness of an otherwise large roof surface. See the perspective sketch of the design on the following page. Head-in parking is provided on the street along the railway. The adjoining parcel to the east is to be small health professionals and related business premises, with head-in parking off the adjoining public north-south street at the highway retaining wall. 73
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Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

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