Introduction - Shire of Nillumbik · Web viewEnsure driveways, garages and car ports do not dominate the public frontages. Ensure that façade treatments wrap around corners and address

Prepared By Hansen Partnership For Nillumbik Shire Council - November 2014

Lot 1 Graysharps Road Hurstbridge - Neighbourhood and Site Description and Urban Design GuidelinesIntroductionThe following draft brochure represents neighbourhood and site description for the strategic development site located at Lot 1 Graysharps Road, Hurstbridge (former Hurstbridge Secondary School Site). This document is not a restrictive blueprint, but a guiding document designed to assist Council in the appraisal and assessment of any prospective development application for the land. The draft neighbourhood and site description and design guidelines are informed by detailed site analysis and strategic policy context of Hurstbridge. It represents a view for consolidated development of the site for better use of urban infrastructure in a manner sympathetic to the key neighbourhood character, environmental and landscape qualities and community values.

Site Context

The SiteThe site is located at Lot 1 Graysharps Road, Hurstbridge approximately 36.7 kilometres northeast of Melbourne CBD and 330m from Hurstbridge Town Centre. It is an irregular shaped, approximately 1.8ha parcel located on Graysharps Road between the Hurstbridge railway line and Diamond Creek corridors. The site adjoins the Ben Frilay Oval to the north and the proposed wetlands and Hurstbridge East Oval to the south. The site has a narrow frontage to an at grade car park (off Graysharps Road) to the east which serves the Hurstbridge Family Centre and recreational uses.

The land is cleared of the former Hurstbridge Secondary School building and contains scattered native trees that are not of significant retention value. A dense canopy buffer exists on the northern edge along the common boundary with Ben Frilay Oval. The site is


relatively flat and located on higher ground with respect to the creekside parklands to the west and future wetlands to the south. A walking trail exists on the northern boundary of the site, which follows the Diamond Creek around to the west and north of Hurstbridge.

Site Context and SurroundsThe site context is varied, consisting of a wide range of facilities located within a 500m walking distance including:

Commercial uses:

Approximately 350m from the Hurstbridge commercial centre along Main Road.

Community Uses:

The Hurstbridge Community Hub bounds the site to the east, which includes a gym centre. The site is in proximity to Hurstbridge Primary School and the site of the Hurstbridge Farmers Market.

Open space and recreational uses:

Ben Frilay Oval, Hurstbridge Memorial Park to the north, Hurstbridge East Oval, the future wetlands to the south and Ferguson Park further to the north bounded by Diamond Creek environs to the west.

Transport hub:

The site is located 330m from Hurstbridge Train Station.


Site Analysis

Existing Planning ControlsThe site is currently within a Public Use Zone - 2 (Education) and affected by an Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO1) and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO). It is also noteworthy that the site adjoins Ben Frilay Oval to the north which is covered by a Heritage Overlay. The site is in close proximity to a Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO) and Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO) affecting Diamond Creek environs and the residential neighbourhood to the northwest. The site is identified as a strategic development site for urban transformation within Hurstbridge Concept Plan (2010) that offers opportunities for significant housing diversity with a potential to create an intergenerational community that will be established on the key public transport node surrounded by a range of community and recreational facilities nestled within an excellent landscape setting.


Zones


Overlays

Opportunities and Constraints

Opportunities Strong presence of dense bushland setting with buildings nestled within vegetation.

Close proximity to Hurstbridge Train Station.

Close proximity to existing and proposed walking trails which connect a network of recreation reserves and open spaces.


Walking distance to a number of commercial and community facilities including Main Road shopping strip, Community

Centre, local sporting clubs, family and children services, Hurstbridge Primary School and Hurstbridge Farmers Market.

Relatively flat topography and exposed location on approach to the town.

Open views towards vegetated ridges and riparian landscape.

Sense of remoteness.

Council road along the common boundary of the northern edge of the site and Ben Frilay Oval.

Number of major projects including Community Centre redevelopment.

Constraints Narrow frontage to Graysharps Road.

Physical barriers to movement due to the site location between Diamond Creek and Hurstbridge railway line.

Lack of easy access to Hurstbridge town centre.

Lack of integration between the community uses located between Hurstbridge railway line and Diamond Creek corridor.

Large areas of at grade car parking of the Community Centre and sporting clubs.

Potential Design ResponseThe proposed hypothetical design is illustrated in Figure 6. The overarching theme of the design is to seek substantial residential development of the site in a manner that respects the significant landscape and built form characteristics of the Hurstbridge Township. The design seeks to realise a clear linkage between the site and its physical context. The arrangement of development parcels has been considered to provide housing diversity and opportunities for dwellings each of which can enjoy an aspect to the existing and future open spaces, northern orientation and sense of street address.

The design supports a sustainable village lifestyle connected to nature and other community assets through a modest form of consolidation from medium to low rise development profile. Development envelopes shown are indicative only, but demonstrate how a mix of housing could be achieved on the site, whilst having regard to access, interfaces and surrounding land uses. Alternative development configurations that respond to the design considerations and satisfy the design objectives may be appropriate.

Design Objectives To recognise importance of the site and its location adjacent to infrastructure.

To integrate development that successfully co-exists with the surrounding uses.


To encourage a sense of street address and frontage to Graysharps Road.

To provide for generous visual and physical links connecting the Creek environs, the future wetlands and Ben Frilay Oval.

To ensure every building envelope enjoys a shared aspect to existing or future open space with favourable northern orientation.

To promote housing diversity to support intergenerational living within the site.

To achieve a transition of urban form that ensures modest scales at public open space interfaces.

To define a clear movement network that supports pedestrian and cycle movement through the site.

To ensure development integrates with the surrounding landscape, reinforces a strong presence of native vegetation and minimises disturbance to the natural landform.

To ensure buildings are discrete in form and incorporate interesting spaces and projections rather than present as solid bulky structures.

To encourage roof forms that will be complementary to the Hurstbridge character.

To ensure buildings are sympathetic to heritage assets.


Hypothetical Design Response To The Key Design Considerations

Design Guidelines

Site Design

Site design is a critical part of the planning process as it ensures that buildings and spaces relate well to a site, streetscape and natural setting. A site specific approach to design is fundamental to achieving a positive outcome for the site.

Site Layout and Setbacks Encourage an overall development that is harmoniously nestled into the prevailing

landscape setting.

Apply generous site setbacks at the northern, western and southern site boundaries to provide adequate space for canopy tree planting within private open spaces.

Provide sufficient setbacks at the eastern site boundary to achieve the necessary ground level activation with existing community buildings whilst providing soft edge effects.


Ensure the site layout allows for visual and physical permeability at multiple north-south and east-west corridors via careful arrangement of roads, pedestrian paths and open spaces.

Provide variation in configuration of buildings, garages and private open spaces to present regular breaks along each boundary.

Orientation and View Lines Locate development sympathetically with each other to maximise privacy and

opportunities for views sharing and northerly aspect.

Orientate private open spaces/ key open space areas to face north where possible.

Orientate living areas with windows and balconies towards existing and future open space aspect around the site.

Ensure that building entries along the site boundaries are highly visible from public pedestrian pathways and open spaces.

Locate all services, car parking and loading areas away from the frontage and public vantage points.

Building Address Provide access to peripheral development via a main internal road and provide

frontages at a publicly accessed pedestrian paths.

Provide access to the central development blocks via a lower order access way and provide frontages to generous communal open spaces within the site.

Design corner buildings to address both street frontages and be of a consistent architectural design.

Provide building frontages to face other building entries, where possible.

Access and Connectivity Effectively separate vehicle and pedestrian access points to avoid areas of conflict.

Ensure car parking within the site is not visually dominant in appearance. Car parks should be concealed behind a landscape screen or integrated into future development.

Improve pedestrian connections on site to services and facilities around the site including recreation, leisure, sport, health and community services that serve families, the elderly and children.

Maximum width of the main internal road reserve should be in the range of 10-12metres.

Access ways should be treated as a shared space and maximum width should be in the range of 5-7metres.


Building Configuration

The configuration of buildings in terms of their form, height and elevational composition is an important consideration. While guidelines should not determine how a building is arranged internally, there are a series of ‘influences’ that will guide decision making on the layout and configuration of a building.

Building Height and Form Reinforce the low scale village character of Hurstbridge.

Ensure the buildings do not protrude above or compromise the established canopy silhouette of Diamond Creek environs.

Apply sufficient upper level setbacks to allow for canopy spread.

Buildings should not exceed 9 metres in height.

Building Style and Facade Composition Demarcate site entrance on buildings edges that are architecturally expressed.

Incorporate articulated facades with building reliefs along all public edges.

Provide buildings that are contemporary in style and incorporate simple building elements and ensure buildings do not reproduce historic styles or architectural detailing.

Demarcate and provide visual interest at the northern and southern corners of the eastern site boundary which are exposed to views on approach to the town centre.

Ensure driveways, garages and car ports do not dominate the public frontages.

Ensure that façade treatments wrap around corners and address both frontages where applicable.

Ground level units should provide individual entries, low or no fencing and landscaping treatment which abuts the pedestrian walkway and potential plaza.

Roof Style Incorporate similar roof forms that draw from existing building stock found in

Hurstbridge.

Defined roof forms as an integrated part of the overall building design.

Conceal all service equipment within the roof so are not visible.

Skillion or low pitched roofs may be integrated to allow for long range views towards Diamond Creek Corridor.

Materials, Colours and Textures Ensure materials selected for buildings that are familiar to the Hurstbridge township

character.


Encourage natural and muted colours that complement the landscape setting

Avoid reflective materials and finishes.

Avoid wide blank walls to ensure visually interesting and activated building sides and backs.

Landscape and Public Realm Integration

The design of the landscape and public realm integration typically relates to the design of streets, open spaces and boundary treatments and is required to demonstrate a ‘fit’ within the Hurstbridge setting. The potential future open spaces within the development present an outstanding opportunity to celebrate the community culture and nature while serving as an inviting meeting point.

Boundary Treatments Achieve soft edge effects along all boundaries with a provision of generous site

setbacks.

Provide a combination of hard and soft landscape effects at the Graysharps Road frontage with opportunities to create an integrated plaza/forecourt shared with other community buildings.

Present activated building edges to the pedestrian ways with individual residential entries (pedestrian only), low and transparent fencing and landscaping to allow for visual interest and passive surveillance.

Encourage the placement of entries, windows and balconies to facilitate passive surveillance of streets, parklands and pedestrian paths.

Communal Open Spaces Create generous pockets of communal open spaces to increase visitation to the site via

utilisation of facilities, workshops/ classes, community gardening, playground, exercise etc.

Design communal open spaces that are convenient, efficiently designed and well-lit to maintain safety of these areas.

Ensure accessible communal spaces meet the needs of people with limited mobility.

Ensure public spaces reflect a theme that responds to the bushland character and history of the site.

Landscape Retain the sense of strong canopy tree silhouette behind the site.

Encourage a physical and perceptual extension of landscape from the adjacent parklands into the site with ‘green fingers’ of landscaping.

Retain the established canopy trees along the Council road at the northern boundary.


Establish footpaths leading to building entrances linking existing walking trails around the site that are no greater than 1.5m and constructed with materials consistent with natural landscape setting such as brick pavers, crushed rock and aggregate finishes.

Public Furnishings, Lighting and SignageEnsure the signage, lighting and street infrastructure do not dominate the internal and external streetscapes and avoid visual clutter.

Provide wayfinding signage and sufficient lighting at the site entrance.

Encourage well-designed, well-lit and safe pedestrian paths along the north, west and south boundaries that link existing and future walking trails in the surrounding area.

Documents

Introduction - Shire of Nillumbik · Web viewEnsure driveways, garages and car ports do not dominate the public frontages. Ensure that façade treatments wrap around corners and address