Shoptop Plan Revealed for Sydney’s Mona Vale

A five-storey shoptop proposal submitted for a key commercial centre on Sydney’s Northern Beaches would exceed the area’s height limits. The developer behind the Mona Vale project is using affordable housing incentives to justify the increase, saying the site is suited to higher-density living. But while the project qualifies for additional height under planning rules, the developer has requested further allowances for certain sections to extend higher. The $18.8-million plan, submitted on behalf of Bellevue Co (Mona Vale) Pty Ltd &amp; 1749 Pittwater Rd Pty Ltd, would replace two commercial buildings with a mixed-use development of 36 apartments above ground-floor retail. The proposed building, which includes frontages at 1749-1753 Pittwater Road and 4 Bungan Lane, would reach 16.9m, under height allowances provided by State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. But some parts of the structure, including lift overruns and rooftop access, would exceed this by up to 3.1m to bring the total height to 20 metres. The developer said this was necessary due to the site’s topography and the need to accommodate affordable housing. “Strict compliance is unreasonable and unnecessary having regard to the particular circumstances of the case, including the topography of the land which makes strict compliance with the building height standard difficult to achieve whilst facilitating the delivery of affordable housing,” the developer said in filed documents. Delete The site would include a two-level basement with 88 parking spaces, accessed via an adjacent council carpark. The apartments would be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units, eight designated as affordable housing. The proposal includes landscaped communal areas and 450sq m of retail space. The Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) described the project as “a building of exceptional design quality” that adapted to the site’s unusual shape and sloping land while fitting well within its surrounding buildings. The application followed pre-DA discussions with the council, where concerns were raised about height compliance. ▲ Two commercial buildings at 1749 Pittwater Road will make way for the plan. The developer said these issues had been addressed through affordable housing provisions and that “the majority of the proposal is compliant with the bonus height provisions”. Mona Vale, about 32km north of Sydney’s CBD, is at the junction of key routes to Palm Beach, Church Point and Warringah and has long been a centre for trade and transport, according to the SEE. In the 19th century, it was a stop for horse-drawn coaches—the Rock Lily Hotel was established in 1886 and served as a landmark inn and traveller rest stop. It later developed into a mix of farming, industry and commercial uses, with timber yards, blacksmiths and boat-builders shaping the local economy. Today, Mona Vale is the main retail and business centre for the Pittwater area, surrounded by low and medium-density housing. The Urban Developer Property and Economic Outlook | For property development professionals in the Greater Sydney region. Click here

Shoptop Plan Revealed for Sydney’s Mona Vale

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Shoptop Plan Revealed for Sydney’s Mona Vale

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