Go to https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/woden-mawson-and-athllon-drive, there is a link towards the bottom to have your say. Comments close on Friday 21 April 2017.
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The concerns of the Woden Valley Community Council (WVCC) are outlined below.
The variation to the Territory Plan provides guidance on the built form and character of the Mawson Group Centre (Centre) as it develops into the future.
The WVCC supports residential development around the Centre, with building heights that preserve the human scale and solar access to public areas. To this end we recommend taller buildings to the south of the Centre and shorter buildings to the north of the Centre to preserve solar access in the public areas.
The draft Variation proposes to overshadow the square with four storey buildings on the north-west perimeter of the square. Overshadowing the town squares has been a concern at Curtin, Woden and now Mawson. There are plenty of other sites to develop taller buildings to provide for densification. The WVCC recommends the existing heights on the square are retained to maximise the sun in the square, particularly during Autumn and Spring.
Similarly, the draft variation proposes 6 storey buildings on the west side of Mawson Place. This will completely overshadow Mawson Place which is proposed as a main street for dining. The WVCC recommends retention of existing building heights on Mawson Place with taller buildings, 4 to 6 storeys, located to the south of the Centre and along Athllon Drive.
Southlands is a busy shopping centre and development of the surface carparks is premature. With the number of sites becoming available for development across Woden and Mawson, development of the surface carparks should be a longer term proposition and, if required, be included in a future variation to the Territory Plan. The WVCC supports retention of the surface carparks, including the park n ride until developments on Athllon Drive, south of the bus stop, have been completed and further development sites are required. The WVCC does not support the concept of tall ‘marker buildings’ to make the presence of the Centre obvious from surrounding main roads as we know where we are. One off visitors can use GPS or a map.
The Master Plan provides for the connection of the Mawson Place Precinct to Athllon Drive via a new road at the southern end of Mawson Place. The road hierarchy, including this new road should be included in the draft Variation.
The Master Plan acknowledges pedestrian and cycle access needs to be improved to and within the centre including along Mawson Place, Heard Street, Mawson Drive and Athllon Drive, as well as through the surface car parks.
The proposed cycle connections in Figure 42 of the Master Plan should be incorporated in the draft Variation to provide confidence to the community and developers as to where the alignments for future investment in cycle paths will be.
Additional residents along Athllon Drive, opposite Melrose High and Phillip, will create further congestion and the duplication of Athllon Drive in Phillip, as the main north-south transport alignment, should be included in the draft Variation. Completion of the duplication of Athllon Drive in Phillip should be undertaken prior to the development of the area.
Development along Athllon Drive should consider the significant vista to Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower and ensure that views are not obstructed and are available to residents and the public.
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