29 May 2019

Bid to double number of dwellings on Luxe site in Wright

| Ian Bushnell
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An artist’s impression of the proposed Luxe apartment complex in Wright. Photos: From the DA.

The developer of the proposed multi-storey Luxe apartments in Wright wants to more than double the number of dwellings at present allowed on the site.

3 Property Group is already marketing the Molonglo Valley project – a mix of townhouses, apartments and penthouses on the corner of John Gorton Drive and Opperman Avenue – and a development application has now been lodged by DNA Architects.

The plans say the $58 million proposal will be subject to a future application to vary the Crown Lease to increase the permissible number of dwellings on the land from 107 to 244 dwellings, and allow subdivision of the lease to establish a Community Title Scheme.

3 Property Group plans to build a six-storey building with 212 apartments, and 32 two-storey townhouses along the northern boundary of the one-hectare site, which is zoned RZ5 (High Density Residential) and is currently vacant.

The view from the rooftop pool.

There will be two levels of basement parking for apartment residents, while the townhouses will include garages underneath. The traffic report by Graeme Shoobridge says there will be 414 car parking spaces on the site (320 in the basements and 94 on the ground level), an overall shortfall of five or six visitor car spaces that it says can be readily accommodated on Opperman Avenue and the John Gorton Drive service road.

The apartments will be a mix of 93 one-bedroom, 98 two-bedroom; 14 three-bedroom and seven four-bedroom units, while the townhouses include 29 three-bedroom, two four-bedroom and one five-bedroom dwelling.

The apartment block will have rooftop open space, including a pool and barbecue area, as well as communal gym and yoga rooms on the ground floor.

The internal public amenity of the development.

The development will also include a driveway entrance from John Gorton Drive, general landscaping, and site services. The site will be landscaped with ground covers, shrubs and tree plantings within the communal open space area of the site, as well as along the internal driveway. A pond and rock garden is also planned.

The plans say the development will be delivered in two separate stages over an 18-24 month period, subject to site and market conditions. The first stage would see the construction of the 32 townhouses, associated services and landscaping and the internal road network.

Stage 2 would involve the construction of the 212 apartments, basement level car parking, visitor parking along the internal road network, associated services and landscaping.

The stages will be progressed in tandem with the subdivision and establishment of the community title scheme, the DA says.

3 Property Group says the luxury development is designed to encapsulate the beauty of Canberra and the great outdoors all in one place, offering a home or investment in a resort-style precinct.

This is not the first time a developer has wanted to increase the number of dwellings that are allowed on site – in September, Zapari lodged a DA for a 212-apartment development in Coombs, subject to the lease being varied to allow building five times the number of dwellings allowed on the site.

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Why are the developers being allowed to get away with this tactic? The Molonglo Valley is being swamped by poor quality developments with too many apartments and insufficient parking for the residents.
Thanks to an incompetent Government that doesn’t care for the area, we still don’t have any shops and the bus services will take a hit with the new timetable. Despite the lack of services, the Government still dumps more Housing ACT tenants out here.
People like us who bought out here in good faith are being let down.

What “tactic”?

Trying to maximise the value of their own land?

They’re free to apply to vary the lease and it will be considered against the rules for doing so.

What exactly is the problem?

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