Cambridge Reserve Revised Concept Plan

Outcome

At the 15 December 2020 Ordinary Council Meeting, Council resolved to note submissions received during public advertising. Adopt the Cambridge Reserve Local Planning Scheme Amendment 104 to Local Planning Scheme No. 3 for a portion of Lots 2346 and 12366 York Street, Lot 7876 Cambridge Road, Lots 2850 and 3487 Moira Avenue, Lot 1 Anderson Road and Lot 9835 Mallow Way, Forrestfield, in accordance with Attachment 1, pursuant to section 53(1) of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 for forwarding to the Western Australian Planning Commission within 21 days of resolution. Additionally to adopt Cambridge Reserve Concept Plans Option 1 and 2 for the purpose of guiding future development of the site.

Background

Cambridge Reserve is part of a City of Kalamunda community enhancement project. It is a 9Ha site (11 Ha including power easement) located in the heart of Forrestfield, 400m from the Forrestfield District Centre. Cambridge Reserve is well serviced by major road access, utility infrastructure, activity centres and schools. Our aim with this project is to transform Cambridge Reserve into an improved public open space, with a portion proposed to be rezoned for aged care and residential development purposes.

The City of Kalamunda continues to be proactive in planning for our existing and future communities, in this project, that entails planning for our aging population. We are working to transform our community spaces to meet the needs of both young and old. The City previously engaged MacroPlan to investigate potential retirement and aged care delivery options which could be considered by Council. The findings of that engagement helped to form the City’s Aged Accommodation Strategy 2016.

The Strategy recommends that the City:

• Not directly undertake any retirement or aged care developments
• Utilise government assets to encourage retirement living and aged care developments
• Prioritise sites in close proximity to amenities and public transport

With this in mind the City conducted preliminary visioning consultation on the Cambridge Reserve site from February – March 2018. From this a Draft Concept Plan was prepared which went out for Public Advertising. This concept plan has since been updated and presented to Council. This update was sparked by a review of the existing plan in regards to many influencing factors, paramount of these include the bushfire, flora and water preservation and management of the site.

Key Considerations for Re-developing the Concept Plan

Urbis were engaged for further technical investigation and proposed redesign of a new draft concept plan.

Their key design parameters included:

• Avoid Threatened Ecological Communities (TEC)
• Modify basin and increase volume
• Maintain high quality Public Open Space (POS) design intent and recreation opportunities
• Ensure project feasibility

This new plan was delivered earlier this year and has provided the City with an overarching framework for redesigning the proposed rezoning for Cambridge Reserve to include an aged care facility, along with a limited number of residential blocks of land. Two Concept Plans have been produced, we would like your opinion on which you prefer and how you feel about the draft concept plan. These concepts have been designed with the following principles in mind:

• Improve safety, ensure the site is activated and there are design controls to facilitate passive surveillance of the open spaces
• Make the most of existing environmental assets, transform the existing basin to improve environmental outcomes and amenity
• Engage with amenity, views of the hills, views to open spaces, sense of openness.
• Celebrate bushland, formalize the perimeter of the TEC and revegetate
• Activate the site, including a network of interactive paths and a 974sqm playground
• Provide housing opportunities including aged care

Key Features of the New Concept Plan(s)

The new technical studies found there was vegetation onsite that needed preserving (directly where housing was previously proposed) and that the drainage sump was too small to meet contemporary standards. The concept plan was subsequently re-designed resulting in:

• The same amount of parkland retained
• 100% retention of protected vegetation and proposed revegetation areas
• Less impact on the reserves western neighbouring lots
• Water sensitive urban design with network of swales and ponds which feed into a re-located seasonal drainage basin
• A larger playground area and half basketball court
• Consolidated path network with interactive exercise and play equipment
• Two concept plan options with 1ha or 1.5ha aged care site depending on market demand

The City is proposing to rezone a portion of the site from ‘Local Open Space’ to ‘Urban Development’ for the aged care site and affordable housing lots (Scheme Amendment #104). The remainder of the site will stay as local open space.

Amendment 104 

Amendment 104 is proposed to transfer approximately 3.85hectares of Local Scheme Reserve - Local Open Space to the Urban Development zone. The Council at its Ordinary Meeting held on 25 August 2020 resolved to adopt Amendment 104 for the purposes of public advertising.

Amendment 104 is an important step that will facilitate the Cambridge Reserve Project which will deliver high quality local open space improvements, an aged care facility, residential development, roads and supporting infrastructure.

Submissions on Amendment 104 closed on 9 November 2020. 

Project Funding

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage administrative policy allows local governments to transfer their reservations to alternative land uses and purchase the land from the Crown in free hold for 5% of the land value.

Transfer process criteria:

• Proposal does not reduce POS below 10%
• Clear benefit to community
• Community consultation
• Capital works improvements to the site and surrounds

Funds from selling the land will go directly into landscaping improvements onsite and if there is any excess it will likely be put in a fund for another community purpose in Forrestfield.

Concept Designs

The two Concept Designs for our community to consider were:

Concept Plan A: Aged care facility covers the entire 1.5Ha space:

Concept Plan B the aged care facility covers 1Ha, allowing for an optional road connecting to Mallow Way, and some additional housing lots:

The key difference between the two plans is the size of the proposed aged care facility. In Concept Plan A the aged care facility takes up the entire 1.5Ha space. In Concept Plan B the aged care facility takes up 1Ha, allowing for an option road connecting through to Mallow Way, and some additional housing lots.

The Survey requesting feedback on the preferred concept closed on 9 November 2020. 

Reporting to Council

10.1.1. Cambridge Reserve Community Enhancement Project - Scheme Amendment No.104 & Concept Plan - Consideration of Submissions were presented at an Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 15 December 2020.

The council considered:

• Details and Analysis: ie. summary of community engagement, including submissions and survey results.
• Applicable Law
• Applicable Policy
• Financial Considerations
• Sustainability - Social Implications; Economic Implications; and Environmental Implication
• Risk Management

Read a copy of the Ordinary Council Meeting - Minutes - 15 December 2020 here and in the Document Library tab.

Attachments included:

1. Amendment 104 Document and Maps [10.1.1.1 - 5 pages]
2. Concept Plans Option 1 & 2 [10.1.1.2 - 2 pages]
3. Cambridge Reserve - Summary Report with Technical Appendices [10.1.1.3 - 525 pages]
4. Submission Table [10.1.1.4 - 13 pages]

Council resolved to:

1. NOTE submissions received during public advertising.
2. ADOPT Cambridge Reserve Local Planning Scheme Amendment 104 to Local Planning Scheme No. 3 for a portion of Lots 2346 and 12366 York Street, Lot 7876 Cambridge Road, Lots 2850 and 3487 Moira Avenue, Lot 1 Anderson Road and Lot 9835 Mallow Way, Forrestfield, in accordance with Attachment 1, pursuant to section 53(1) of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 for forwarding to the Western Australian Planning Commission within 21 days of resolution.
3. ADOPT Cambridge Reserve Concept Plans Option 1 and 2 in accordance with Attachments 2 and 3 for the purpose of guiding future development of the site.

Where to from here?

The feedback period has now closed, the concept plan will be reviewed and finalised based on the input provided. The finalised plan will be put to Council for consideration and approval. The City’s Strategic Planning team will report to Council regarding delivery options, governance and business models for subdivision and development.

Pending all approvals, the finalised plans will be put forward to the Minister for Lands and Western Australian Planning Commission for endorsement.

We appreciate your time in providing feedback on this topic. We value your opinion on all things that affect the way in which we are planning our living spaces within the City of Kalamunda.