1 This is an appeal under s 97 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, against the decision of the Pittwater Council (the council) to refuse a development application to demolish the existing 'Pasadena' building and to construct new commercial, retail, restaurant space, six apartments with car parking, and to subdivide under strata title, all under existing use rights, at Lot 142, DP 752046, being No 1858 Pittwater Road, Church Point.
2 I visited the land in company with the parties on the morning of the hearing and heard from local residents.
3 I have concluded that the proposal would be satisfactory if Apartment 5 were deleted and the parapet lowered to conform with the height of the existing parapet in order to respect the views of nearby residents and deferred commencement consent is indicated.
The land
4 The land is situated on the northern side of Pittwater Road and abuts land at Church Point wharf. Lot 142, DP 752046, being No 1858 Pittwater Road, Church Point is a freehold allotment owned by the Romeos. The largely rectangular lot has a frontage of 32.685m to Pittwater Road, a western boundary of 19.27m and the eastern boundary of 19.595m and an area of some 634.4m2.
5 Lot 320, DP 824048, also known as No 1858 Pittwater Road, Church Point, is an irregular shaped allotment to the north and east of Lot 142 and is held by the Romeos under lease No 311606, from the Crown.
6 Lot 317, DP 824048, being No 1858C Pittwater Road, Church Point, zoned 9(d) 'Arterial Road Reservation' and is owned by the Department of Lands.
7 Lot 319, DP 824048, being No 1860B Pittwater Road, Church Point, commonly known as 'Sir Thomas Stephens Reserve', adjoins Lot 142 to the west and is zoned 6(a) 'Existing Recreation'.
8 Lot 321, DP 824048, being No 1858B Pittwater Road, Church Point, adjoins Lot 320 to the east and is a reserve zoned 6(a) 'Existing Recreation'.
9 The existing 'Pasadena' is located on Lot 142, DP 752046 and is a predominately two-storey brick cement-rendered building containing a licensed restaurant with indoor and outdoor eating areas, bar and bottle shop, real estate agent and motel accommodation comprising fifteen (15) suites, caretakers flat and roof top laundry. Reading off the survey in Exhibit B it appears that the ground floor level of the existing building is 2.15m AHD; apparently, (as the noted levels are slightly indistinct on the survey before the Court) the first floor is 6.15m AHD, the roof level is 9.13m AHD, the ridge of the laundry on the roof level is 11.85m AHD and the gutter at 11.64m AHD. Mr Dunbar in Exhibit 7 states that the balustrade above the main structure is 10.1m AHD. This latter level is important when assessing the views from No 2195 Pittwater Road, the Soriano's residence.
10 The existing 'Pasadena' building was approved and constructed in the 1960s and provides a restaurant and shops at the ground level and a motel on the upper level.
11 The land is located within a key public precinct and may be viewed from the north and the waters of Pittwater. The council points out that Pittwater is an expansive waterway frequently used by the public, and located on a State arterial and tourist route. The land abuts Sir Thomas Stephens Reserve, the Church Point Wharf and Store where the 'offshore community' especially those living on Scotland Island meets and embarks.
Relevant planning controls
Pittwater Local Environmental Plan 2001, (PLEP)
12 Under the provisions of the PLEP the land is zoned 3(c) (Neighbourhood Business 'C'). There was no dispute between the parties that the applicant relies on existing use rights and those rights apply to the application. Any provisions of a planning instrument that derogate from those existing use rights is of no effect.
13 The land is within the vicinity of two (2) locally listed heritage items, being the adjacent Church Point Post Office and Store and a graveyard on the former Methodist Church Site opposite the land. The land is within the Bayview and Church Point Locality under the PLEP.
Pittwater 21 Development Control Plan, (DCP21)
14 DCP21 also applies and ss D4.4, C 1.3, B4.6, 6.4, B2.6, C 1.7, D4.7, D4.5, D4.6 and D4.8 are relevant to the extent that they do not derogate from the incorporated provisions of any existing use rights regulations.
15 The Masterplan for Church Point adopted in principle on 20 December 2004 also applies to the land. The land is slip affected under Interim Geotechnical Risk Management Policy for Pittwater 21 DCP. It is also subject to wave action and tidal inundation under the Pittwater Wave Action Policy.
16 Other matters of relevance include:
· Foreshore scenic protection area.
· Habitat Category 2.
· Native Wildlife Protection Area.
· Saltmarsh foreshore vegetation.
· State Environmental Planning Policy 71.
State Environmental Planning Policy No 65, (SEPP65)
17 SEPP65 applies to the land and as the proposal exceeds three storeys the application must be assessed against the ten heads under that instrument.
The proposal and its history
18 Development application No N0051/05 was lodged with the respondent council on 4 February 2005 to demolish the existing 'Pasadena' building and to construct new commercial, retail, restaurant space, six apartments with car parking on the land, and to subdivide under strata title, all under existing use rights.
19 The proposal described in the plans in Exhibit B prepared by Stutchbury & Pape - Architects, would include:
Basement level - finished floor level of 0.30m AHD
· Car parking for 12 resident vehicles, 2 visitor parking spaces and a designated wash bay.
· Vehicular access ramp to ground level.
· Lift access.
· Storage Areas.
· Amenities for the restaurant.
External ground floor level - finished floor level of 2.45m AHD
· Awning extending from the building to the north over the leasehold area comprising Lot 320 DP824048.
· Terrace area on Lot 320 used for outdoor dining (50 seats).
· Parking for 7 cars and loading bay provided adjacent to the eastern boundary of the lease area in the location of the existing motel car parking area.
· Relocation of the residential and commercial garbage storage area within the lease area to the north of the access driveway.
· Construction of the access driveway ramp within the leased area.
· Construction of pedestrian access ramps within the lease area.
· Construction of a podium and public seating area within Thomas Stephen Reserve (Lot 319, DP 824048 to the west).
· Construction of pedestrian steps within the Pittwater Road reserve (Lot 317, DP 824048 on the southern side of the property) connecting the building with the footpath in Pittwater Road and the public car parking area.
· Construction of an awning over the road reserve.
· Use of the Church Point Reserve (Lot 321 DP 824048) for vehicular access to the basement car parking area, the car parking area contained within the leased area and the residential and commercial garbage storage area.
Internal ground floor level - finished floor level of 2.50m (350mm higher than the existing ground floor level of 2.15m AHD)
· 88-seat restaurant on free hold land, (with an additional 50 seats to be provided on the terrace on leasehold land).
· 3 retail units.
· Lift and stair access.
· Amenities.
First floor level - finished floor level of 6.20m AHD (apparently 50mm higher than the existing level of 6.15m AHD)
· 2 x 2 bedroom and 2 x 3 bedroom apartments, (Apartments 1-4).
· Lift and stair access.
Second floor level - finished floor level of 9.5m AHD (450mm higher than the existing roof level of 9.15m AHD)
· 2 x 2 bedroom plus study apartments, (Apartments 5 and 6).
· Lift and stair access.
Ridge level 12.785m AHD, 935mm higher than the ridge level of the existing laundry of 11.85. Skylight top 12.95m AHD; Lift overrun roof 13.10m AHD.