Apartments on rise in Duncraig with 12-unit development approved

A TWO-storey apartment building has been conditionally approved for Duncraig.

CF Town Planning and Development director Carlo Famiano said the 12 two-bedroom units proposed for 9 and 11 Ruthven Place were in a City of Joondalup housing opportunity area “undergoing transition”, close to Warwick train station, Carine Open Space and a well-used pedestrian and cycle path along the Mitchell Freeway.

He said while the $2 million proposal would help the City meet the State Government’s infill targets in an ideal location, it was also deigned to be “consistent with the intent of the development and character of the area”.

At this morning’s Metro North-West Joint Development Assessment Panel meeting, Mr Famiano said some amendments stemming from feedback received from the Joondalup Design Reference Panel, the City and surrounding residents included moving a window and making it more narrow to reduce privacy issues, changes to fencing and a change to pitched roofs.

He said the main discretion being sought was a reduced setback to the eastern boundary to the freeway reserve and this was because the balconies were not screened to allow light and ventilation in the units and for passive surveillance of the neighbouring pedestrian and cycle path.

Joondalup planning services manager Chris Leigh said the City received three objections to the proposal with concerns including height, privacy and overlooking, the design reflecting the character of the area, parking and traffic.

He said the height, overlooking and parking all met the requirements, with 12 residential and six visitor parking bays proposed, the City was comfortable with the traffic report and the area was “fairly active” with redevelopment so the proposal would reflect this character.

Panel specialist member Fred Zuideveld questioned having a 2.4m high solid wall along the pedestrian and cycle path, saying people could hide along the wall and not be seen, and suggested the wall be visually permeable.

But Mr Famiano said it had been recommended to make the wall solid to give the ground floor apartments more privacy and security and to block out some of the noise from the freeway.

Mr Zuideveld also asked if there was a possibility of reducing the internal driveway to a single lane to increase the communal open space and add more landscaping, which Mr Famiano and Mr Leigh said could be investigated.

Mr Zuideveld also added a condition to relocate a storeroom “hard up” to the pedestrian and cycle path, which would be a “huge opportunity for graffiti”.

In moving to approve the proposal, Cr Philippa Taylor said it was a “perfect location for infill” but did raise concerns of the design only being able to retain one of the tree mature trees on site.

Cr Christine Hamilton-Prime agreed the proposal was “attractive and ideally placed” but hoped she would see “more leafiness” in the landscaping and more height in the plants chosen to help “curb the heat island effect”.

It wan unanimously approved.