a spacious peninsula - parliament of nsw€¦ · 6 — a spacious peninsula equilibrium community...

A Spacious Peninsula

An integrated urban direction plan for the Woy Woy Peninsula

Equilibrium Community Ecology Inc 27 July 2004

2 — A Spacious Peninsula Equilibrium Community Ecology Inc

Equilibrium Community Ecology Inc 27 July 2004 Equilibrium is a non-profit incorporated community association whose projects have community development and ecological sustainability aims. Its members plan to establish an eco-village on the Central Coast. Contributors to this paper were Equilibrium members: Mark Snell Maria Hogan Steve Cameron Mark Snell We welcome comments. Send them to PO Box 585, Woy Woy NSW 2256 or email [email protected]. We also encourage you to discuss your ideas publicly, through the columns of Peninsula News at PO Box 532, Woy Woy NSW 2256 or email [email protected].

A Spacious Peninsula

An integrated urban direction plan for the Woy Woy Peninsula

Equilibrium Community Ecology Inc 27 July 2004


Introduction ..........................................................................................................5 Physical plan........................................................................................................6 District Two avenues ...............................................................................................7 Road system ...............................................................................................8 Visual features.............................................................................................9 Schools moved..........................................................................................10 New suburbs .............................................................................................11 CBD redesign ............................................................................................12 Street design .............................................................................................13 Footpaths and cycleways ..........................................................................14 Neighbourhood ..................................................................................................15 Opportunities .............................................................................................16 Reorientation .............................................................................................17 Strata.........................................................................................................18 Cohousing .................................................................................................19 Household..........................................................................................................20 Community plan.................................................................................................21 Skills and talents .......................................................................................22 Economy ...................................................................................................23 Affordable housing ....................................................................................24 Community development...........................................................................25 Administration Finance......................................................................................................26 Strategies ..................................................................................................27

Contents

Equilibrium Community Ecology Inc A Spacious Peninsula — 5

This plan is an outline of a direction that could be pursued with an integrated approach to urban planning on the Peninsula over the next 50 years. It is based on the predominant values of the Peninsula's current residents within the framework described in the "Shaping the Central Coast" regional strategy plan. As such, it is the first published attempt to create an "implementation plan" of the regional strategy for the Peninsula. It describes the direction in physical, social and economic terms. The physical direction highlights the value and importance of open space to our community, particularly as population density increases. The social direction highlights the importance of active citizen participation in the life of our community, and adopting a self-help approach to shaping our own destiny. The economic direction highlights the need for people to work locally in an economic environment to complements and is driven by the community's aspirations. The plan described in this strategy is not the only possible direction that could be taken, nor is it the only possible implementation of that direction. However, a starting point is needed. Its prime objective is to stimulate community discussion in the context of Gosford Council's Peninsula Urban Directions Study.

Introduction


Overview The physical plan for the Peninsula features the creation of seven new suburbs each with its own local shops, offices and neighbourhood centre, all within 500 metres walking distance for local residents. The plan covers details of neighbourhood design and home orientation for environmental and social purposes. The plan includes a hierarchical road system designed to improve traffic flow, create quieter residential areas and support a sense of community. It features two six-lane "grand avenues" with wide median strips, which cross the Peninsula. These are designed to improve the area's appearance as well as improving travel times. Two schools are moved so that each "quadrant" formed by the intersecting avenues has its own primary school, positioned away from busy streets. Many residential streets are loops or cul-de-sacs, oriented towards the suburb's centre. Separate cycleways and footpaths are provided for direct low-energy routes to the neighbourhood centre. Residential densities are higher closer to the town centres of Ettalong, Umina and Woy Woy and lower density further away. Town centres of Umina and Woy Woy are redesigned to give them more cohesion, and the railway station is moved away from the town centre to help decongest Woy Woy.

Physical plan


Two grand avenues Two six-lane grand avenues with a wide planted median strip provide an immedi-ate sense of spacious for people arriving or travelling through the Peninsula. Ocean Beach Rd forms an avenue on a north-south axis, starting at the Peninsula Community Centre at McMasters Rd and extending through to the beach, where it meets an extension of The Esplanade. Ocean Beach Rd is also widened back towards Woy Woy, to facilitate traffic flow and access to Woy Woy town centre. On the other axis, Veron Rd forms an avenue for its entire length and is ex-tended through to Blackwall Mountain, where it joins a widened Maitland Bay Drive. At the other end, it is extended through to join up with Woy Woy Rd.

District


A hierarchical roads system The two avenues are primary in a hierarchical roads system which have secondary and tertiary roads to help distribute traffic in an orderly and efficient manner across and within the Peninsula. Secondary roads include Barrenjoey Rd, Blackwall Rd from Blackwall as far as (and including) Allfield Rd, Rawson Rd, and Railway St from Rawson Rd to Woy Woy Rd. Other secondary roads include Brisbane Ave and Lone Pine Ave. A new secondary road in the vicinity of Nelson Ave links through to Barrenjoey Rd. Secondary roads are also used to provide access to the town centres at Woy Woy, Ettalong and Umina. This hierarchy is assisted with the straightening of several traffic routes. The most major of these is a road tunnel joining Veron Rd to Woy Woy Rd and a by-pass of The Bays area. The bypass takes Woy Woy Rd from the bottom of Bull's Hill behind the residential area to rejoin the existing road near the Bull's Hill quarry site. Ocean Beach Rd is straightened from Victoria Ave to provide a more direct route to Brisbane Water Dr. The road to Patonga and Pearl Beach is straightened between Ocean Beach Rd and Mt Ettalong Rd, removing a series of right angle turns. The road to Woy Woy from Memorial Ave at Blackwall Mountain is also straightened, so that the sharp corner where it joins Blackwall Rd is removed.

District


Visual features Creative visual features stand at each end of the avenues and at the entrances to the Peninsula creating a sense of arrival and reflecting a community encouraging creative and cultural activity. Particular attention is paid to the Peninsula Community Centre so that its design draws the eye of those travelling up the avenue towards it, emphasising its central role socially as well as physically on the Peninsula. Vistas from the avenues towards natural features such as Mt Ettalong and Blackwall Mountain are incorporated in the streetscape design. The war memorial park is relocated from Woy Woy to land near the intersection of the two avenues, possibly ceded from the council depot, to provide a more visible reminder of our community's contribution to the nation. Outside commercial centres signage is limited to clear but unobtrusive direction signs.

District


Two schools moved Two primary schools close to major roads are moved to population centres, so that primary students are not required to cross or enter school on or near busy streets. Umina Public School is moved to McEvoy Ave, while Woy Woy South is moved to Miami Ave. This places a State primary school in each quadrant of the Peninsula, and allows catchment areas to be assigned accordingly. The siting of the two secondary campuses of Brisbane Water Secondary College remains unchanged. But access from Veron Rd and Allfield Rd is prevented, requiring access from Carpenter St and Edward St respectively, and the acquisition of property to facilitate this.

District


Seven new suburbs Seven suburbs are created on the Peninsula in addition to the three existing town cen-tres. The identity of each suburb is facilitated by the hierarchical roads system, where local roads open primarily onto tertiary roads, and tertiary roads onto secondary roads and secondary onto primary. This sees a number of streets turned into loops and cul-de-sacs – creating safe and quiet community space. Each suburb has a neighbourhood focussed around a suburb centre. This centre will include shops such as a milk bar or small supermarket, post office/newsagency, restau-rant, take-away, hairdresser and the like. It will also have offices for those who working close to home and for businesses supporting home-based businesses. These shops and offices are adjacent to a park with play equipment and provision for a community garden. Also adjacent to the park is a house set up as a volunteer-run drop-in centre, catering for adults but perhaps also offering before and after school care and some youth facili-ties. The suburbs are of a size that the local shops are walking distance from all parts of the suburb. Lanes and reserves are used to provide direct and safe routes to the centre for walkers and cyclists.

Suburbs


CBD redesign Woy Woy commercial area is redesigned to make better use of the area and take ad-vantage of the vista to Woy Woy Bay and Spion Kop. Changes include moving the railway station and its associated parking towards Rawson Rd. The multi-storey carparks are replaced with an open courtyard eatery and park, with an outlook across the water to the bush. The new design integrates main street shopping with plaza shopping and create pedes-trian linkages through to the Woy Woy wharf tourist area. Shopping centre parking is concentrated in a multi-storey carpark on the existing Victo-ria Rd/Charlton St carpark site. Access to supermarket loading bays is moved to Charl-ton St. Visual and pedestrian links through to Woy Woy oval will feature. Umina town centre is similarly redesigned to contain the commercial area between Ocean Beach Rd and Trafalgar Ave. Central to this is a conveniently-located covered bus station. Residential densities are higher closer to all the town centres. The town centres allow up to four storeys, stepping down to single storey towards the waterfront and in the low density areas.

District


Street layout With traffic focussed onto a number of major streets, traffic flow is improved by closing off the ends of minor streets. This modifies the grid pattern into a num-ber of cul-de-sacs and provide quieter streets for most. Traffic lights at busy street intersections make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross where there is no alternative but to do so. Several schools need to be re-oriented so that student access (vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian) is segregated via side streets rather than interfering with traffic flow on arterial routes.

Suburb


Footpaths and cycleways Footpaths and cycleways are designed to provide viable alternatives to reliance on the motor vehicle. The new suburbs are centred around neighbourhood shops and parks which are within 500m walking or cycling distance for most residents. Footpaths and cycleways are sited away from busy roads and trafficked areas, wher-ever possible. They are planned in conjunction with each other, and are associated with the develop-ment of neighbourhoods and neighbourhood focal points. Pedestrian and cycle networks are incorporated into a masterplan, which identifies jour-ney purposes around the Peninsula and divides them into preferred transport modes. The plan identifies points of origin and destination and make footpaths and cycle routes as direct as possible. Private property may be purchased over time to secure appropri-ate routes. Recreational routes are also identified. These include such areas as along the Brisbane Water waterfronts and along the banks of the less environmentally-sensitive creeks of the Peninsula, which should be devel-oped as green corridors. Concrete paving would not be appropriate in many of these areas. A number of walking paths should be created using council escarpment reserves for access into the National Park.

Suburb


Neighbourhood space Front yards and roads used to be community space, creating a sense of neighbour-hood. We used to be able to play a game of cricket in the street or have a conversation with our neighbour in the front yard. Many of the planning regulations currently applying to the Peninsula originate from this time: six metre building setback, low front fences, single driveway entrances, car park-ing and turning facility onsite for villa developments This is no longer the case with the combined effects of: • an increasing population, in areas adjacent to the Peninsula as well as on the Pen-insula itself, • increasing car ownership and use and • a road grid where all roads are through roads Now our front yards are noisy and smell of engine fumes, and roads are dangerous to walk on. With or without footpaths, they are no longer a pleasant place to walk. Cycling is dangerous. Cricket is out of the question. Our roads have become service corridors: Water, drainage, electricity, garbage collec-tion, postal delivery, buses. Apart from a few pleasant back streets against the escarpment, our roads do not permit a sense of neighbourhood, let alone encourage it.

Neighbourhood


Opportunities Opportunities exist to create a sense of space in the neighbourhood. These opportunities occur both with existing houses and allotments, with redevelop-ment, and with subdivision, consolidation and restructure of allotments. They are all based on the reorientation of space usage around a dwelling – to put the community space at the rear. The purpose of the reorientation is to make the space that is available more usable, so that it is not frittered away on setbacks, driveways, setback front fences, visitor parking, turning bays and the like. They make use of the laneways at the rear of many properties on the Peninsula - lane-ways which were originally provided before sewerage was available, for access by the "night soil man". In other areas, easements could be created, or a small portion of the backyards could be acquired by Council. This could be done on a voluntary basis, supported and facilitated by Gosford Council's community services section as a community development project. There are projects overseas which could be used as a model, such as the N Street co-houisng project in Davis, California, that have effectively implemented this principle.

Neighbourhood


Reorientation Re-orientation could be undertaken on a house-by-house basis. The diagram shows the results achieved with several adjacent houses being reoriented. The example shows garages built against the front boundary and high fences to create private space on each allotment against the street frontage. Angle parking is provided on the street of the fence, with the use of a roll-over kerb. At the same time, the rear fence and side rear fences are removed or reduced in height to create community space. Cars are excluded from the laneway and it is converted to a cycleway and footpath. Without cars, neighbours will be able to talk without traffic noise and fumes. The outlook will be pleasant with gardens unspoilt by overhead wires. Children will be able to safely play in the laneway while observed by parents and neighbours alike. It would be safe to play a game of cricket or netball.

Neighbourhood


Strata possibilities A strata subdivision increases the possibilities for reorientation with shared facilities and some redevelopment. Here two blocks are resubdivided to create an extra dwelling between two existing (renovated) dwellings or as part of a redevelopment. Note that the units are parallel to the street, rather than the perpendicular arrangement of "gun barrel" developments and are built within the normal six metre setback. Neighbours in two other houses have decided to install one swimming pool for their two houses. Two other houses have joined their vegetable gardens for greater variety and productivity. In areas where two or more storeys are permitted, design guidelines enforced by plan-ning conditions ensure upper storey windows and living spaces do not overlook private spaces of neighbouring properties.

Neighbourhood


Cohousing A "cohousing" redevelopment for the neighbourhood takes the creation of a neighbour-hood community to a higher level. Here more space is freed by creating a "common house" with shared facilities. Rather than space being taken on each allotment for a seldom-used workshop or sewing room. In Scandinavian and United States cohousing developments, a common house often has a dining room for the neighbourhood, a woodwork room, or a recreation room for teenagers. It might also have laundry facilities. With the most common household type on the Peninsula being lone person house-holds, a common house would provide a means of overcoming social isolation. Cohousing is not just an architectural style. It is, more importantly, a social approach to creating a greater sense of neighbourhood and belonging. It is a community develop-ment methodology. It works best where the residents are at least involved in, if not initiating, the redevelop-ment of their neighbourhood. It is an approach that responds to the needs of real peo-ple, rather than building to the statistical "Norm". The cohousing model is particularly suited to providing affordable housing ownership, but has also often been adopted for up-market eco-friendly developments.

Neighbourhood


Energy-efficient and private Homes are commonly designed to make use of the angle to the sun to help warm the house in winter and keep the house cool in summer. This passive solar design is aided with the use of adequate external insulation and internal thermal mass. Houses are designed to catch prevailing cooling summer breezes for natural ventilation in summer. Solar panels are commonplace both for electricity generation and for water heating and winter space heating. Planning regulations and conditions ensure overshadowing does not occur and that a free natural airflow is available to all in the interests of energy-efficient design. Water use is minimized with the use of waterless toilets, the garden use of grey water and the on-site treatment of black water. Gardens are predominantly of appropriate local native plants, which require minimum watering. New houses are built using materials that require the least energy to produce for the longest life and that are reusable or recyclable at the end of the building's life. For ex-ample, crushed recycled concrete and other industrial waste is used as aggregate.

Household


A Thriving Community The work of creating and maintaining a “livable” community requires more than just de-signing a pleasant urban environment. It is the way the community works within that environment that determines quality of life. Characteristics of a thriving Peninsula community include: Commerce: Adequate products, services and expertise available to residents. Community: Active citizenship, recognition, community involvement, energy and re-sources freely applied for collective benefit. Culture: Exciting ideas, celebration, diversity of opinion, well-informed discussion and debate, wealth of experience. Demographic: Balanced age profile, high employment levels, rewarding work, high home ownership, reasonable population turnover This plan sees these characteristics are actively supported by government, Gosford Council and community service organisations. Projects and services designed to support these characteristics are seen as important social infrastructure, just as roads are seen as physical infrastructure.

Community


Developing skills and talents The development of knowledge, skills and talents of residents enriches the community. As well as a comprehensive secondary curriculum, a liberal range of tertiary and further education courses is available on the Peninsula. A centre of excellence is established in a specialty which may assist the local economy, such as performing arts and its associ-ated technology. A community-based continuing education provider offers a broad range of topics to suit all ages, outside the school system. It operates from the Peninsula Community Centre, as a requirement of the centre’s management lease conditions It specialises in courses that help facilitate community involvement and well-informed debate on topics of local relevance. A learning exchange service is also operated from the centre enabling residents to share their skills and resources, using a loose barter arrangement. Anyone is eligible to learn if they are willing to share their skills and experience. Resources are available at low cost for community purposes. These resources include photo-copying, faxing, word-processing, email, and access to council documents. They enable the production of community newsletters and other means of informing the com-munity.

Community


Economic self-reliance Self-reliance in the Peninsula economy is maximised so that the community provides its own employment, and supplies its own products and services as far as possible. Retail, personal services, business services, environmental and cultural tourism, and aged care are all industries with potential for the Peninsula. The Peninsula economy extends beyond its geographical bounds, with a local retail catchment extending to Kincumber, East Gosford and Kariong. In this respect, Woy Woy and Umina have potential to offer more than just district retail services. Other local businesses operate as exporters to the region, to Sydney or the State, as well as nationally and internationally. Home-based businesses are encouraged, as is telecommuting so that employees of Sydney organisations “export” their skills rather than their bodies. Businesses are encouraged to own their own premises. Support is provided to small businesses joining together to build their own affordable office space. Local investment is encouraged – particularly by local people in local businesses, and by business people in the community.

Community


Affordable housing Thriving towns have a high level of home ownership. Owning a home provides a sense of security, permanence and a sense that efforts on improving your living conditions will be worth the effort. These benefits are commonly not available with rental accommodation. Shared and cooperative ownership models and hybrid ownership models, like community title, are supported. These provide low-cost ownership opportunities for like-minded groups of people, as well as opportunities for urban renewal. Cohousing models are able to take advantage of non-profit structures and a self-help ethos, economies of scale and low overheads. They allow design flexibility and the savings of smaller individual occupancies, which shared facilities enable. A financial structure is available for low-cost purchase and sale without capital gain, providing affordable housing into the future. This provides a middle ground between non-refundable rental expenditure and the capital gains investment model of conventional private home ownership. Providing for this style of home ownership requires special planning provisions and can benefit substantially from local government attention and support. However, this ownership approach require attention within the planning approval process. While such projects are self-funding, State and local government assistance with providing a suitable financial framework can be beneficial.

Community


Community development The purpose of community development facilitation under this plan is to develop the community’s ability to provide well for itself. Community development provides the support that ensures the Peninsula is a vibrant and enriching community. It encourages self-help and discourages dependence upon outside agents or funders. It nurtures community initiatives, fosters the skills and capacities needed for success and reduces the need for outside support. The active involvement by residents in community activities and decision-making pro-vides the avenue to define and address community needs. Among other things, it encourages diversity, public celebration of creativity and the de-velopment of home-grown talent. It helps build a broad base of civic skills and experience and encourages all residents to develop their leadership skills. If fosters the exchange of ideas and encourages residents to travel to bring ideas back to the community.

Community


Finance The implementation of this plan, even over 50 years, will be a costly exercise. However, a number of approaches may be employed to meet this cost. Firstly, the plan becomes the basis for Gosford Council’s capital works program. Being an integrated plan, this gives the council the best opportunity for government grants and complementary support. A “Financial Strategy” levy, similar to that which built the community centre and the PCYC, may also be used. The consistent application of recurrent funds on works which are compatible with the plan also works towards its objectives. The implementation of cul-de-sacs creates portions of unused roadway which may be used for residential purpose. Sale of this land may be used to purchase the resumption of land required elsewhere in this plan. The redevelopment of laneways may also provide a funding source. Revolving funds may be established to facilitate the process. This might be started with the sale of the council depot land.

Administration


Strategies This is an ambitious plan. And it will be a challenge to fund it. However, cost may not be its greatest challenge. A greater task may well be maintaining a commitment to the plan over the longer term in the face of short-term opportunity and expedience. This problem will face any implementation plan for the regional planning document "Shaping the Central Coast". A regional approach is therefore recommended, with a regional planning authority con-stituted to oversee all implementation plans. This authority could be constituted with representatives of the councils, State Govern-ment agencies and community interests. This would also provide the opportunity develop an over-arching vision for the Central Coast. An international regional design competition could be conducted with prize money of $5 million. Other strategies to assist implementation of this plan include: • The creation of a clear and simple hierarchical planning scheme • The introduction of inclusive, integrated council management processes • Monitoring of key performance indicators

Administration

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