An artist’s impression of Empire Global’s final stages of its Guilfoyle House redevelopment on Anketell Street in Greenway. Image: Stewart Architecture.
A 300-unit development in Greenway has been knocked back for not providing enough sunlight, private open space and parking.
The Simunic brothers’ Empire Global had lodged a development application for Stages 2 and 3 of the Guilfoyle House redevelopment on Anketell Street (Block 2 Section 57), which will replace the present low-rise former public service building on the site.
Three levels of basement parking were to have provided a total of 371 car parking spaces.
But the ACT Planning Authority refused the application because it breached planning rules, including the Multi-unit Housing Development Code, and was not supported by ICON Water, EvoEnergy (Electricity) and Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate (TCCS).
The final two stages, costing $96 million, comprised two eight-storey buildings, containing 299 apartments and six serviced apartments on the ground floor, as well as a 265-square-metre retail tenancy on the corner of Anketell and Reed Streets.
The Notice of Decision said the level of access to sunlight was not acceptable and the issue was not resolved or improved through a request for further information.
A substantial number of southern-facing units not only did not have access to direct sunlight but Principal Private Open Space (PPOS), residence size and overall amenities were also at a minimum.
Some units had minimal to no solar access.
A view of the proposed development showing the internal courtyard.
The DA said 176 (57 per cent) of the 305 units would receive more than two hours of sunlight on the walls or floor of the daytime living areas on the winter solstice but this was considered “reasonable for a development this scale, within the context of a town centre”.
It also said an internal landscaped communal open space would compensate for smaller balconies.
Only 38 visitor parking spaces were provided in the DA, and the Planning Authority said this was insufficient, noting that street parking was limited.
“Having no minimum rate of parking requirements does not alleviate the responsibility to provide feasible parking solutions and pushing demand onto existing road network is not a viable solution,” the Notice of Decision said.
It also noted that active redevelopment of the surrounding area could increase demand for on-street parking, and Anketell Street and part of Reed Street were no standing zones and an off street carpark adjacent to the site leased by TCCS appears to be mainly for surrounding commercial tenancies.
The DA had also not shown how vehicles would manoeuvre through the basement, or how the proposal would function safely and conveniently.
The DA also proposed a number of lease changes relating to the serviced apartments, final number of units on the entire site, the shop and subdivisions.
Comment was sought from Empire Global about how it would respond to the refusal
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