St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox Church has lodged a development application to build a $4 million, 80-place child care centre in its grounds at 339-377 Forest Road, Bexley which include the heritage Bexley School Buildings.
The 8388 square-metre site also includes St Mary Coptic Orthodox Cathedral and St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox College.
The proposed child care centre will be located at the south-eastern corner of the lot with dual street frontages to Forest Road and Bayview Street.
The proposed two-storey building will have a rooftop play area for up to 76 children.
The first floor level will include a 0 - two-year-old indoor play area with capacity for 20 children; a two-three-year-old indoor play area for 30 children; a four-five-year indoor play area for 30 children, an outdoor play area with capacity for seven children, reception, administration offices, staff room, food preparation area, a cot room and lift.
The roof-top level will include a covered outdoor play area with capacity for 76 children.
There will be a total of 16 staff maximum and operating hours would be 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The proposed child care centre has been designed to be in keeping with the existing and emerging character of the area, according to the application's Statement of Environmental Effects.
The application seeks a variation on the 8.5-metre maximum building height.
The two storeys plus roof top play space will have a maximum height of 12.27 metres, a 44.35 per cent variation of the maximum permissible height.
"The development includes an architectural roof feature that causes the building to exceed the height limits set," the SEE says.
"The proposed building height exceeds the maximum building height of 8.5-metres for a portion of the development only, with the roof-top outdoor area proposed under 8.5 metres. The height of 12.27 is for the lift over-run."
A number of trees are proposed to be removed but some of the existing trees along the Forest Road frontage and street trees in Bayview Street are to be retained.
The plan includes 24 new trees with a mature height of six-metres to be planted across the site. And new small street trees to be planted along Bayview Street.
The site is identified as a local heritage item with the original Bexley School buildings and is located opposite the local heritage Bexley School of Arts.
A Heritage Impact Statement has been prepared for the site.
"The heritage value of the Original Bexley School buildings has been noted and has been respected through an appropriate design," the SEE says.
"The proposal will have a positive social impact, particularly through sensitive architectural design and provision of child care in an area with a growing population and subsequently a high demand for such services."
