News & Discussion: Adelaide Development Plan Amendment 2012

[monotonehell]

Hmmm .... according to the DEH website, only the EPA is housed in Vic Square, at 250 Vic Square - is that the SAWater Building? (the EPA used to be housed in SAWater House, on Grenfell St).

EPA! That's it. LOL after you questioned it I started thinking I had completely the wrong abbreviation.

---

Planes take off into the prevailing wind and land in the opposite direction. So that can be from either end of the runway off in a wide angle. Some days they come in over near the CBD other days over North Adelaide. If the winds coming the other way, a similar wide angle in from the Gulf.

Also remember that the issue isn't only with planes colliding with pointy structures. The airport has an extensive radar and signalling system that they don't wont to have to adapt to more buildings.

Also, also remember that the height limitations can be pierced for any application on merit. After the PTB have put their respective oars into the approval process.

What our submission that Wayno has linked to above was calling for is a demystification of the process so developers don't have to guess what will be approved.

[phenom]

Here's a follow up to the previous article. Some of the finer details from today's announcement.



*notes : Airport Heights = No restrictions on height in the Development Plan for those locations, height will be up for negotiation with CASA.


Central Business Area

King William Street (currently 11-29 stories)- Airport Heights in in the Central Business area and 15 for the rest.
Morphett Street (currently 3-15 stories)- 3-15 Storeys
Pulteney Street (currently 4-15 stories)- Airport Heights in the Central Business area and 15 for the rest.
Grote/Wakefield Street (currently 4-20 stories)- Airport Heights in Central Business area and 15 for the rest.
Currie/Grenfell Street (currently 6-29 stories)- Airport Heights in Central Business area and 15 for the rest.
Franklin/Flinders Street (currently 7-20 stories)- Airport Heights in Central Business area and 15 for the rest.


Main Streets

Rundle Mall (Currently 6 storeys) -> Airport Heights, 6 storeys on the Mall.
Rundle Street (Currently 4-6 storeys) -> 6-12 Storeys
Hindley Street (Currently 3-8 storeys) -> 6-15 Storeys
Gouger Street (Currently 5-8 storeys) -> 6-15 Storeys
Sturt/Halifax Street (Currently 4-5 storeys) -> 6 + catalyst sites
O'Connell Street (Currently 3 storeys) -> 6 storeys (south of tynte street) + catalyst sites.

*catalyst sites are allowed to exceed height limits.


City Edges

South Terrace (currently 6-7 storeys) -> 10 storeys
North Terrace (currently 6-20 storeys) -> Airport heights in business area and 15 for the rest
West Terrace (currently 5-8 storeys) -> 8-15 storeys
Hindmarsh Square (currently 12 storeys) -> Airport heights
Light Square (currently 12 storeys) -> 15 storeys
Hurtle/Whitmore Square (currently 4 storeys) -> 8 storeys

Vibrant Adelaide - Historic Changes to Adelaide CBD


At 1pm today Minister John Rau announced significant reforms to the Adelaide City development plan.

The key reforms are :

Unlimited Height for parts of the CBD (CASA Aviation Limits Permitting)

Significant Height Increases throughout the rest of the CBD

*Much* Faster approval times

Less duplication

Recognise signficances of streetscape

For full list see the release below.. or join the discussion on the forum.

Here is the topology of the proposed changes.

This is also a workflow diagram for the new DA approval process (this process could take 180 days under the current system).

This comes shortly after the announcement of a new City Design Review Panel to assess all development applications before the DAC.

Original Post

Hopefully the right forum... a step in the right direction, hopefully prodded by the regulars of SensationalAdelaide...

'Taller buildings will revitalise the city centre'

"TALLER maximum building heights in key city centre precincts are being considered by the State Government...."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/real-esta ... 6262323868

Taller buildings will revitalise the city centre, says John Rau

by: Political Reporter Daniel Wills
From: The Advertiser
February 03, 2012 11:00PM

The Adelaide CBD.

TALLER maximum building heights in key city centre precincts are being considered by the State Government.

Planning Minister John Rau is in the final stages of drafting a city development blueprint expected to significantly alter existing height, density and design guidelines set by Adelaide City Council.

Mr Rau has told The Advertiser the current regimen is "hopelessly inadequate for the task" of delivering a vibrant city centre. The city's tallest building is Westpac House at 132m.

He said change was critical to accommodate population increases in the coming decades.

Mr Rau has also confirmed the design review will become the first stage of a revamped building approval process to ensure developers are not filling the city's heart with "slums waiting to happen".

Preference will be given to "mixed-use" developments that include retail, commercial and residential space.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of developments are in deep freeze at the moment," he said.

"What we are looking to do is deliver a completely modern, renewed plan for the City of Adelaide.

"If we get this planning review right, we will unlock an enormous amount of investment and energy in the City of Adelaide, which has had the lid put on it for years by an increasingly antique policy regime."

He said a rise in developers seeking special treatment under Major Project status, which bypasses local councils, showed the underlying planning policy was wanting.

The Government is targeting the CBD as the hub of the 30-year development plan for Greater Adelaide and is planning for the construction of 15,040 new dwellings for 27,300 more people.

Planning Department figures show a major decline in the CBD's residential population since it peaked at 43,133 in 1915.

Despite a three-fold increase in Greater Adelaide's population in the past century, the CBD residential population fell to almost 20,000 as cars became popular and people moved to the suburbs.

Market research has shown the Government's plans for high-density housing in the city centre to meet population growth over the next three decades is being thwarted by perceptions it is ugly and intended for the poor.

It is understood the Government will target areas like the North Tce boulevard, Rundle Mall, King William St and city squares for increased building heights. North Adelaide's O'Connell St is also under review.

Property investor Theo Maras said the market was struggling to provide the kind of developments people wanted to live in and pointed to the city's East End as evidence "mixed-use" buildings were successful.

The current regime has a mix of recommended maximum building heights, ranging from two storeys on parts of West Tce to 103m in precincts north of Victoria Square. Most new development is capped at 60m but exceptions can be made.

Thirteen buildings deemed "non-compliant" with the council's planning regulations due to height have ultimately been approved by the state Development Assessment Commission since 2008.

The industry says uncertainty over what can be approved raises development costs and deters investors.

An ACC spokeswoman said council was "committed to working" with the Government. Councillor Sandy Wilkinson, who owns a development design practice, said many large CBD office developments recently approved had failed due to a lack of market demand or financing.

"I think the State Government has been completely hoodwinked by the development lobby," he said.

"For every over-developed site, that reduces the available demand and leaves less for others.

"I'd rather see more sites developed in the city than have a small number massively over-developed."

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Nathan Paine said a "range of developers" was prepared to lodge building applications if the review delivered greater freedom, including taller building heights.

"These are people who are saying that the development plan as it stands wouldn't allow projects to be financial; but if we can get some more storeys, we can actually make it work," he said.

"I think the great benefits of changes won't initially be in the commercial space - it'll be residential.

"That gets more people in the city and more people using the city."

Urban Development Institute of Australia SA executive director Terry Walsh said onerous heritage restrictions were leaving many buildings dormant and government subsidies should be used to enliven them.

"An owner of a heritage site cannot get financial return if they have to spend too much money getting that disused building up to what is considered an acceptable level," he said.

Opposition planning spokesman David Ridgway said the Government had failed to "take the community with them" and it appeared to be at loggerheads with the city council.

[dsriggs]

Taller buildings are nice, but only if there's demand, which there doesn't seem to be much of.

[Howie]

Well all i can say on that point is watch this space in the next few weeks.

[crawf]

Speechless

[Thanial]

I check AdelaideNow every morning in hope of seeing something like that, now that I finally did I can hardly believe what I'm reading!

[[Shuz]]

Well all i can say on that point is watch this space in the next few weeks.

You always know something that we don't! Grrr.

But bets are it is a proposal for a new tallest building.

[AdelaideAlive]

can someone check the calendar is it apri 1 ?

[AdelaideAlive]

i say put us on the map and build a 90 storey unique designed tower ,knowing adelaide maybe we can make it retractable and evry time a plane takes off we can lower it into the ground,hey wouldnt that be unique only kidding great news

[Vee]

This is good news for the continuing revitalization of the city. Taller buildings with mixed use, including residential, should increase not only the daytime population but the vital night time population to add to the heartbeat of the city.

I am so sick of the recent rash of car park buildings in the city and the sterile impact of these ugly buildings which lie dormant for significant periods, contributing little to their surroundings. This revamp of thinking augurs well for the city.

Areas such as North Terrace, King William St., the Squares, O'Connell St. are good targets for taller buildings in precincts that have much to offer and will benefit from more permanent populations.

The inclusion of residential helps to put a handbrake on urban sprawl and hopefully contributes to improved design. Increased height offsets the need to build wall to wall as in office blocks with the residential component necessitating good design in interesting locations with balconies and access to natural light and, hopefully, adds to affordability for younger people.

[Howie]

For the benefit of non regulars on the CBD development thread. I've split the discussion into a seperate thread.

Can I just add, thank you to all the members of Sensational Adelaide for your persistant lobbying to council, state government, planning authorities, heritage bodies, and even telling your friends over these years. It certainly hasn't fallen on deaf ears, and should this overhaul proceed, you will certainly see a very different Adelaide from here on out. Please be mindful that this is not a done deal yet, we still need your support.

So if you have got a moment, please show your support through social media, websites like AdelaideNow, SSC, even contacting the Minister for Planning John Rau directly.

[Thanial]

This is pretty much what I posted on Adelaide now but perhaps the State Government should consider selecting prime pieces of land in the CBD and holding competitions with the big architectural names to design buildings for them, that way we'd be nearly entirely assured that we'd get several landmark worthy designs! I seriously hope this plan goes forward!

[Just build it]

Great start to the day to see this on the front page this morning. Had to laugh at the thoughts of the random youngsters on the comments page though.......omg.....

The only company I can see having the cash, space requirement and ego (and balls) to anchor and finance a new tallest in Adelaide (in my lifetime) is BHP but at least this plan will loosen the rigid limits across the city in general. No longer will 60m proposals in a 40m zone be viewed as pure evil and obsolete people like Moran will be free to concentrate on rubbish collection in North Adelaide.

[Plasmatron]

Excellent news! Now to see if anything actually happens, instead of just discussing it for the next few years...

Send the paramedics to Anne Moran's place stat. She is likely having a panic attack at the thought of progress.

Haha.

[Will]

This is excellent news.

Even if there is limited demand at the moment, this does not mean this will be the case forever. When demand returns, we will be in a better position to capitalise on it, by removing another barrier to progress.