Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
The Parke Street frontage lends itself to a street level extension of the Main Street commercial
activities. The upstairs of the Parke Street frontage might support offices and or residential,
including tourist accommodation. The rear of the site with its splendid views but less
commercial exposure might well support more residential development or short-term
accommodation. It has good views down the valley, over Frank Walford Park.
9.5.3 Project Design Brief
Development of the Gateway site (or its component parcels) should comply with the following:
Development should help to strengthen, not weaken, the economic viability of the Town
Centre.
The development should result in a perimeter block development fronting all adjoining
streets, should incorporate mixed use in response to the site and should be at least two
and preferably three storeys on both Cascade and Parke Streets, with underground parking
taking advantage of the sloping site.
The architectural character of the buildings should complement the historic Town Centre.
The mixed use development should take advantage of its different edge conditions,
suitably including:
- Parke Street level commercial,
- Upper storeys along Parke Street for offices and/or residential, including short-term
accommodation,
- Short or permanent residential to the rear of the upstairs Parke Street frontage and the
Cascade Street frontage.
Provide and dedicate the accessway along the boundary with TAFE as a public street with
footpaths.
All building frontages should respect their adjoining historic contexts in materials and
form, and all building masses or components and window openings should be taller than
they are wide.
Existing historic buildings should be retained.
Verandahs should be provided on at least 50% of the frontages of both Parke and Cascade
Streets over their footpaths.
9.5.4 Proposed Charrette Design
The proposed Charrette design for the consolidated Gateway site complies with its Project
Design Brief, as follows.
Parke Street Frontage
The existing historic antiques shops, fire station and hotel are integrated into a mixed use
development. A three-storey development along Parke Street is appended to the existing fire
station, with a new lift at the juncture serving both buildings. A basement car park beneath
the new Parke Street development is accessed from both Cascade and Parke Street. The upper
two storeys of the new Parke Street frontage are served by a double-loaded corridor, with
possible offices out front with double-storey verandahs over the footpath, and with
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