The eastern gateway to Hurstville is set to be transformed by two planning proposals which would allow towers of up to 20 storeys or 65-metres housing hundreds of apartments.
Last week’s meeting of Georges River Council endorsed the two Planning Proposals that outline zoning and planning code changes for the sites which would set guidelines for future development applications.
Both sites are in what is referred to as Hurstville’s Eastern Bookend Precinct and are located opposite the East Quarter development.
The first proposal, known as the Landmark development, seeks changes the zoning and height controls to allow towers ranging in height from 12-metres to 65-metres, or three storeys to 20 storeys, to be built on a 1.4 hectare triangular-shaped site bounded by Forest Road, Durham Street and Roberts Lane.
The Landmark Planning Proposal will now go on public exhibition for 28 days.
This is an amended proposal to a previously approved Planning Proposal for the site.
The proposal allows for approximatley 450 apartments, 7000 square-metres of retail space, 2500sqm of communal open space with public access, and a 130-room hotel which would be situated on the corner of Forest Road and Durham Street.
A recommendation by the Georges River IHAP that the proposal include affordable housing on the site was later rescinded by the Georges River Council as it could not legally enforce it.
The proposal sees the eventual amalgamation of 19 separate sites currently used for light industry including a self-storage facility, car sales yards, a funeral home, the Hurstville Scout Hall, a block of flats and single dwelling houses.
It seeks to amend land zoning from light industrial and low density residential to B4 mixed use.
It also seeks to amend the height controls on the site from nine-metres and 10-metres to a range of heights being 12m, 15m, 21m, 28m, 30m, 40m and 65m.
The proposal was submitted by Dickson Rothschild on behalf of One Capital Pty Ltd and Prime Hurstville.
The second Planning Proposal allows for a 10-storey and a 14-storey tower at a site across the road and bounded by Forest Road and Wright and Hudsons streets, Hurstville, known as the Bing Lee site.
The 5407 square-metre site would provide approximately 217 apartments in two towers of ten storeys and 14 storeys, and 1150 square-metres of retail space.
The changes have been approved by council and will now go back to the Planning Department for gazettal. The proposal includes a Voluntary Planning Agreement from the developer of $3.8 million.
But deputy mayor Kathryn Landsberry voted against the Planning Proposals.
“I do not support this level of density. These Planning Proposals predate the current council. A lot was progressed under adminstration without council oversight which I do have concerns with,” she said.
“This sort of density is just too much. As I caught a very uncomfortably packed train from Central, half the train got off at Hurstivlle. I wondered how many people getting off the train would be pleased about a 20-storey development on the corner of Durham Street or a 14-storey development on the corner of Hudson Street.
“I understand this will go through, but I personally feel the need to record my name against it because I don’t approve of this level of density in our community.”
