Belconnen Town Centre Draft Master Plan Community

1
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Introduction
The ACT Government has developed a draft master plan
for the Belconnen town centre. Preparation of the draft
master plan has included a review of the 2001 Belconnen
Town Centre Master Plan. The draft master plan outlines
a vision, planning principles and strategies to guide
growth and development in the town centre over time.
It has been informed by strong input from the community
and stakeholders, including traders and lessees in the town
centre, and ACT Government directorates.
The draft master plan sets a path for continued growth
and change in the town centre. It recognises the centre
is a major employment and shopping hub that provides
important community and health facilities for Belconnen
and the wider city.
What is a master plan?
A master plan is not a detailed design, but:
•a process that defines what is important about a place
and how its character and quality can be maintained
and improved.
•sets out how a particular area could develop and
redevelop into the future
•sets out objectives and strategies to manage
development and growth over time.
Meet the planners:
When:Thursday 22 Oct, 10am to 2pm
Saturday 24 Oct, 10am to 2pm
Where:Westfield Belconnen, Lathlain Street Bus Lounge
Have your say:
Please take the opportunity to read the draft master plan
and tell us what you think of the strategies to guide the
future development of the town centre.
For more information:
Visit:www.act.gov.au/Belconnen
Email: [email protected]
Call:Access Canberra on 13 22 81
Comments close Friday 20 November 2015
How is a master plan implemented?
When a master plan is finished the following may happen:
Territory Plan variation
A variation to the Territory Plan to introduce a new precinct
code for the town centre is the next step of a master plan.
The precinct code can address details such as building
heights, building setbacks and land uses specific for the
town centre.
Sale of Territory owned land
Some Territory-owned land may be identified as
appropriate to sell in the future for uses that meet the
needs of the market and the community.
Public domain upgrades
Infrastructure and public space improvements may
be identified as part of the master plan process. This
will involve various government agencies and funding
consideration through future government budgets.
Industry opportunities
It is up to the business community to take advantage of
opportunities identified in a master plan. When proposed
changes are on existing developed sites, market forces
will dictate when / if they are redeveloped. Changes may
therefore take a number of years to occur.
2
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
The master plan study area
The study area for the Belconnen Town Centre Draft
Master Plan is bounded by Ginninderra Drive,
Aikman Drive, Eastern Valley Way, Belconnen Way
and Coulter Drive.
The draft master plan also considers the relationship
between the town centre and adjacent institutions
including the University of Canberra, The Australian
Institute of Sport, Canberra Institute of Technology and
Calvary Hospital.
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MCKELLAR
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Northern
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Belconnen
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LAWSON
Western
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College Street
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The University
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Aik
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ay
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Eastern
Benjamin Way
Service Trades
Street
Coh
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Belconnen
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PAGE
John Knight
Memorial Park
Westfield
Community engagement undertaken earlier this year
highlighted issues to inform this master plan. A large number
of comments were received, with the key messages being:
• Improve cycle and pedestrian links to and across the town
centre. Connections to key locations need to be obvious.
• Emu Bank requires improvement to provide activation
along the foreshore. This area has potential to provide
an attractive outdoor dining destination.
• Increased residential density within the town centre is
generally supported.
• There is a range of views on building heights, with taller
buildings generally supported. The need to improve
building design and quality was highlighted.
• The quality of the public domain requires improvement,
including lighting, street furniture and landscaping across
the town centre, particularly in the service trades area.
• Parking requires better management and provision.
Additional multi-storey carparks were generally supported.
• Lake Ginninderra is a significant asset, with the
protection and maintenance of open space a key issue.
How the draft master plan
responds....
LAKE GINNINDERRA
Emu Bank
What we heard from you....
BRUCE
The input from the first stage of community engagement
has helped develop planning principles for the town centre.
Principle 1:Enable an environmentally responsible and
resilient town centre.
Principle 2:Encourage a liveable town centre that attracts a
diverse community during both day and night.
Principle 3:Capitalise on employment opportunities.
MACQUARIE
metres 0
100
200
300
400
500
Belco
nnen
Way
Principle 4:Provide a well-connected centre with easy and
safe transport and movement.
Principle 5:Encourage a built form that contributes
positively to the town centre.
3
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Challenges and opportunities
The main challenges and opportunities outlined
below bring together the background analysis and
the outcomes from community engagement
undertaken in the first stage of the master plan process.
Opportunities identified for the
Belconnen town centre...
MCKELLAR
Strengthen street trees
Improve cycle
connections
Open Space
Potential destination
Territory-owned sites
with re-development
potential
Poor connections
Pedestrian and cycle
barrier
Dispersed after-hours
activity
Minimal core area public
open space
Possible employment
changes
FLOREY
LAKE GINNINDERRA
LAWSON
Northern
Peninsula
LEGEND
Drive
LAWSON
Northern
Peninsula
Western
Foreshores
BELCONNEN
BELCONNEN
nD
LAKE GINNINDERRA
MCKELLAR
Aik
ma
Drive
Western
Foreshores
Ginninderra
LEGEND
FLOREY
Coulter Dr
ive
• Potential reduction of town centre employment
• Poor connections with the University of Canberra
• Parking nearing capacity
• Limited public open space in the core area
• A poor perception of Belconnen as a destination
• A lack of features to reduce climate change impacts
• Traffic congestion
Coulter Driv
e
Ginninderra
Challenges identified for the
Belconnen town centre...
rive
• Attract more people to live in the town centre
• Improve cycling and pedestrian links into the town centre
• Expand the public transport network
• Encourage well-designed buildings and public domain
• Develop solutions for parking
• Preserve the quality of Lake Ginninderra
• Maintain wide streets that can accommodate new
landscaping and infrastructure
• Confidence is encouraging continued investment
• Enable attractive destinations
Emu Bank
College Street
y
a
Valley W
Street
OPPORTUNITIES
Benjamin Way
MACQUARIE
Service Trades
e
riv
Aik
treet
Way
ley
Val
tern
E as
Benjamin Way
reet
nnen
et
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fold S
t
fold S
College Street
Belco
Westfield
The University
of Canberra
Eastern
ma
nD
PAGE
Nettle
Street
Service Trades
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Stree
Nettle
Co
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S
hen
The University
of Canberra
John Knight
Memorial Park
r
Chandle
r
Chandle
Westfield
eet
in Str
Lathla
John Knight
Memorial Park
n
i
Lathla
PAGE
Emu Bank
BRUCE
BRUCE
Belco
nnen
Way
MACQUARIE
CHALLENGES
Way
4
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Vision
Belconnen town centre’s features and potential set it apart from other places. The lake, open
spaces, layout and nearby institutions provide unique economic and environmental advantages.
These will be improved and strengthened to ensure the town centre is an attractive, accessible
and desirable place for people to live and enjoy.
Planning strategies
Spatial framework
The following key planning strategies provide guidance for
future improvements and development of the town centre
over the long term:
The spatial framework sets out what the broad structure
of the town centre could look like and shows how land
use, public domain improvements and connections
could be delivered over the long term. It recognises
the challenges in the centre and brings together the
opportunities to shape how the town centre could adapt
over the lifetime of this master plan
1.Encourage town centre living.
2.Improve the quality and use of open space areas.
3.Improve the centre’s sustainability through the design of
buildings and the public domain.
Ginninderra
4.Encourage active destinations to grow.
MCKELLAR
Drive
LEGEND
FLOREY
5.Improve the public domain.
P
6.Improve the relationship with the University of Canberra
and other institutions.
Current rapid transit
Reserve corridor for
rapid transit
Main cycle routes
Potential park
LAKE GINNINDERRA
Medium density
residential
Northern
Peninsula
LAWSON
Coulter Driv
e
8.Retain sites for employment.
9.Provide a well-connected centre that is easy and safe to
get to and move around.
Medium density
residential
Western
Foreshores
Mixed use /
entertainment
rive
7.Encourage a more prosperous service trades area.
an D
BELCONNEN
10.Encourage greater use of public transport.
Aikm
P
Emu Bank
12.Encourage safer roads.
PAGE
John Knight
Memorial Park
Westfield
et
e
r
t
S
hen
Nettle
High density
residential
/ office
Stre et
Co
P
College Street
re e
Benjamin Way
t
fold S
P
The University
of Canberra
r
Chandle
P
eet
in Str
11.Manage parking to ensure the centre is accessible.
Lathla
Retail /
office
t
Belco
nnen
ey Way
Vall
tern
Ea s
Service
Trades
Medium density
residential
BRUCE
Way
MACQUARIE
Timeline of the development of Belconnen
1837
Land Grant including
the town centre area to
Captain Charles Sturt
1966
District of Belconnen
inaugurated
1939
Belconnen Naval
Transmitting Station opened
1974
Lake Ginninderra filled
1968
First master plan for Belconnen
town centre adopted
SPATIAL FRAMEWORK
1977
First stage of Belconnen
Mall opened
1975
First review of the master plan
2001
Review of the master plan
1986
Review of the master plan
2015
Review of the master plan
5
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Strategy 1: Encourage town
centre living
Strategy 2: Improve the quality
and use of open space areas
Belconnen town centre is a desirable place to live with a
reasonable level of amenity. It is estimated the residential
population will grow by almost 40% between 2015 and
2031. To ensure the town centre remains an attractive
place to live, the following initiatives are recommended:
The draft master plan provides a range of
recommendations to improve open space, including:
Building heights:
Existing buildings in the centre generally sit below the
surrounding ridges. Establishing an upper height limit of
around 27 storeys will ensure this relationship is maintained.
Incentives to reward good outcomes:
Controls will be developed that encourage better design,
sustainability and improvements to the public domain. This
will benefit developers, residents and broader community.
Apartment and building types:
Encouraging a greater variety of dwellings and apartment
types will help provide a greater choice for future residents.
Ginninderra
MCKELLAR
LEGEND
Drive
High rise
(up to 27 storeys)
(up to 18 storeys)
High rise transition
(up to 16 storeys)
(up to 12 storeys)
(up to 10 storeys)
Medium rise
(up to 6 Storeys)
(up to 4 storeys)
Low rise
(up to 3 storeys)
(up to 2 storeys)
National Capital Autority
FLOREY
LAKE GINNINDERRA
* *
* *
Northern
Peninsula
ive
LAWSON
BELCONNEN
an D
r
*
Western
Foreshores
John Knight
Memorial Park
Emu Bank
See poster 6
Westfield
et
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t
S
hen
Co
*
Nettle
t
fold S
Service Trades
re e
The University
of Canberra
*
Benjamin Way
PAGE
Aikm
Coulter D
rive
*
College Street
t
n
ter
Eas
Belco
nnen
Way
MACQUARIE
BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITS
y Way
Valle
*
BRUCE
• Retain and improve the remaining open space areas in
Oatley Court and Purdue Street.
• Activate Margaret Timpson Park by providing a
children’s play area and encouraging its use by
surrounding residents.
• Open space around Lake Ginninderra provides
important recreational facilities and contrast to the
town centre core. Retaining and improving this open
space provides amenity for residents, workers and
visitors to the centre.
• Consider additional uses for open space, such as a
community garden, which will provide amenity for the
community.
Strategy 3: Improve the
centre’s sustainability through
the design of buildings and the
public domain
Canberra’s climate is predicted to become hotter and
drier, with more severe rainfall events. We need to
ensure our buildings and public spaces are more efficient
and responsive to climate change, to minimise energy
and water demands.
Providing more large canopied street trees will help
provide shade and improve the streetscape character of
many areas in the town centre.
6
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Strategy 4: Encourage active destinations to grow
The Belconnen town centre has a good range of restaurants and other venues; however it lacks a ‘destination’ area,
similar to Bunda Street in the City, where there is a choice of venues in close proximity. Two areas are considered to
have potential to develop into active destinations:
Emu Bank
Lathlain Street
With the range of existing uses and attractive northern
outlook across the lake, Emu Bank could be a much more
active place for outdoor dining. Providing incentives for
redevelopment, along with clear planning guidance, will
help renew this important precinct:
The redevelopment of ACT Government-owned properties
fronting Lathlain Street provides an opportunity for it to
become the ‘main street’ of Belconnen, particularly as it
is close the bus station, Community Health Centre and
Westfield Belconnen.
• Provide a setback from the lake frontage that provides
for outdoor dining and encourages lake-side entrances.
• Reduce the visual dominance of surface parking areas
by encouraging basement or off-site parking areas.
• Permit redevelopment up to four storeys, set back to
retain some views to the lake from adjacent residential
developments.
• Provide clear pedestrian links between Emu Bank and
the lake.
Key initiatives include:
• Establish clear connections between the bus depot
and Lathlain Street, including possibly extending
Walder Street.
• Allow a range of building heights to help facilitate the
proposed relocation of the Belconnen Library and the
Community Centre to Lathlain Street.
• Retain the open space in Purdue Street as a park to
become the focus for new development.
• Establish a high quality public domain and
requirements for street frontages that encourage a
range of uses and activity.
LEGEND
Existing path
Proposed new shared-use
path
Proposed pedestrian
crossing
Lake
Ginninderra
Existing crossing
Portion of lake proposed for
infill
Setback to pedestrian path
LEGEND
New on-road cycle lane
Build / improve footpaths
Proposed building heights
Medium rise-6 storeys
Medium-low rise-4 storeys
Low rise- 2 storeys
Existing stands of trees
Existing underpass
6
4
2
t
ree
t
S
n
o
t
x
u
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Nationsheart
Christian
Community
Belconnen
Arts Centre
2 4
Emu Bank
2
4
12
Proposed park
High rise
High rise transition
6
Medium rise
4
Medium rise
18
Rainbow Cottage
childcare
2
2
Nature
Conservation
House
4
4
Rae Street
2
4
2
2
Warehouse
Car
repairs
4
12
et
e
r
t
S
s
Bayle
2
Apartments
4
2
Benjamin Way
Re-align boundary to
enable 6m verge to
Lathlain St
Extend Walder St to
Lathlain St
6
Westfield
Belconnen
et
re
t
S
r
e
Wald
2
18
Chandler Street
6
Northpoint
Plaza
4
Revival
Centre
et
e
r
t
S
rdue
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6
6
Co
et
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hen
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Petrol
station
Bus
station
et
treet
Altitude
apartments
son S
EMU BANK
Belconnen
Community
Centre
Bus
depot
h
Josep
Belconnen
Library
18
in Stre
Lathla
Margaret
Timpson
Park
6
Post
office
Community
Health
Centre
Service
Trades
Area
7
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Strategy 5: Improve the public
domain
Strategy 7: Encourage a more
prosperous service trades area
The need to improve the public spaces in the town
centre was a consistent message during the first stage of
community engagement.
The service trades area supports around 180 small
businesses. The area currently lacks the identity and
amenity of many smaller commercial areas in Canberra.
The draft master plan recommends several initiatives to
improve the service trades area, including:
The draft master plan identifies several clear precincts
with different characters and levels of activity. By targeting
improvements that are appropriate for each precinct, the
character of the precincts will be retained and costs reduced.
• Remove ‘Residential’ as an allowable use from most
of the CZ3 zone to reduce potential conflict between
uses.
• Improve the amenity of the area by providing large
canopied street trees to provide shade, public toilets,
seating and bike racks.
• Improve the provision and management of shortterm parking to support local businesses.
There is also an opportunity through the master plan
process to encourage the formation of a local business
group which can promote the service trades area
through advertising, events and creating a positive
image for the area.
Strategy 6: Improve the
relationship with the University of
Canberra and other institutions
The town centre has a unique advantage with its proximity
to important health, educational and sport facilities.
Encouraging integration of the town centre with the
University of Canberra will help ensure the significant
potential employment opportunities of this area are
better realised.
This is particularly important given the need to diversify
Belconnen’s employment base.
Strategy 8: Retain sites for
employment
Providing a substantial employment base was a key reason
for establishing the town centre. Decentralised employment
can help to reduce travel time and traffic congestion.
The town centre provides employment for around
13,550 people, with 67% of those living in the
Belconnen district.
It is important to retain the current employment base in
the town centre. While the sites for existing large offices
can easily accommodate future employment expansion,
using these sites for other uses, such as residential,
should be avoided to ensure the centre can continue to
provide and grow its employment base.
8
Belconnen Town Centre
Draft Master Plan
Strategy 9: Provide a wellconnected centre that is easy
and safe to get to and move
around
Improving cycle and pedestrian connections into and across
the centre was a strong message from the first stage of
community engagement. The draft master plan provides
strategies to ensure pedestrian and cycle links are clear, safe
and convenient, including:
• Use the former Joynton Smith Busway to link Florey to
the town centre’s retail core, the bus station, Belconnen
Markets and Jamison centre.
• Provide clear links between Belconnen Way and the lake.
• Improve links between the town centre, the University of
Canberra and Radford College.
Ginninderra
MCKELLAR
Drive
LEGEND
Existing on-road cycle
lanes
Proposed on-road cycle
lanes
Existing shared paths
Proposed shared paths
FLOREY
LAWSON
Northern
Peninsula
Western
Foreshores
rive
Coulter Driv
e
LAKE GINNINDERRA
Aikm
Emu Bank
Street
Service Trades
Nettl e
f
old
The University
of Canberra
r
Chandle
Co
John Knight
Memorial Park
Benjamin Way
et
e
r
t
S
hen
treet
in S
Lathla
PAGE
Westfield
an D
BELCONNEN
College Street
Street
nnen
Way
MACQUARIE
FUTURE CYCLE NETWORK
ey Way
Vall
tern
Ea s
Belco
BRUCE
Strategy 10: Encourage greater
use of public transport
The town centre’s public transport has improved significantly
in the past 10 years. Further work is required to assess the
requirements for additional platforms, the location of rapid
routes and the amenity of the three bus stations.
Strategy 11: Manage parking to
ensure the centre is accessible
Parking is often close to capacity in the town centre. The
draft master plan seeks to implement the ACT Parking
Action Plan (2015), including the better management and
provision of short-stay parking to ensure the town centre
remains competitive and accessible.
Identifying Territory-owned sites suitable for structured
parking, in addition to other uses, will improve parking
capacity.
Strategy 12: Encourage safer
roads
Strategies to make the town centre’s roads safer include:
• Extend the 40 km/h speed limit zone to a larger area of
the town centre.
• Measures including street tree planting and additional
raised pedestrian crossings will further slow traffic and
emphasise the 40 km/h zone.