Plans for a multi-level apartment building and retail hub in St Marys have been refused by Penrith City Council.
A Development Application (DA) was first lodged to Council in March of last year proposing an 11-storey commercial and residential building.
Planned to go up at 9-25 Queen Street in St Marys, it was set to cost a whopping $23,500,000, the bottom three storeys set to be used for commercial use with the remaining storeys for residential use.
The residential levels were proposed to have six one-bedroom apartments, 39 two-bedroom apartments, and three three-bedroom apartments.
Additionally, the site would have had three levels of basement car parking with a total of 132 parking spaces.
“Basement level one will contain 56 commercial/retail car parking spaces. Basement levels two and three will contain 76 residential car parking spaces,” the Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) attached to the DA said.
The existing structures on the site were proposed to be demolished to make way for the new building.
“It is proposed to demolish the existing structures on the site and undertake excavation to construct a mixed-use complex,” the Application said.
These plans were unanimously refused by a Penrith City Council planning panel citing a range of reasons for the decision including the proposal was expected to have a negative impact on the character of the area and an adverse impact of noise and privacy.
The Panel determined that the development proposal does not sufficiently respond to, nor reflect, the strategic planning intentions for the site and its important relationship to the broader St Marys Town Centre Precinct.
“…The Applicant has been afforded considerable time to resolve matters that remain unresolved, despite numerous requests by Council for the submission of necessary information and amended plans as outlined within the assessment report,” Council’s response said.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.