Doncaster Hill's next major apartment project verges on approval

Doncaster Hill's next major apartment project verges on approval
Mark BaljakSeptember 16, 2017

A final planning decision looms next week for Doncaster Hill's latest apartment development.

Already holding the consent of Council planners, a positive result at next week's Council Meeting will see 666 Doncaster Road add to the measured flow of high-density residential projects atop the hill. In their report, Council planners have recommended that the Plus Architecture-designed scheme be approved, subject to conditions.

Now home to a low-rise commercial complex, the 3,257sqm site would be razed to accommodate the project which is backed by Brabian Investments Pty Ltd, with consultancy proUrban also involved in realising the project.

Doncaster Hill's next major apartment project verges on approval
666 Doncaster Road in context. Image: Google

666 Doncaster Road is designed as a 13-storey, mixed-use building accommodating 161 dwellings. The called for dwelling yield and respective internal size is as follows:

  • 4 townhouses at 140sqm
  • 43 x 1BR at 50sqm
  • 31 x 2BR at 65sqm
  • 43 x 2BR + 2 bath at 75sqm
  • 25 x 2BR + 2 bath + study at 80sqm
  • 12 x 3BR at 110sqm
  • 3 penthouses at 270sqm

The project also includes 227 car parking spaces over four basement levels, 68 bicycle spaces, 3 retail tenancies amounting to 350sqm and a 224sqm restaurant. Plus Architecture's design covers 58% of the site and reaches 45.38 metres in height, with the building capped by a GBLA Landscape Architects-designed rooftop terrace.

Manningham City Council note that 28 objections were received for the application, covering a range of issues.

For its part, Council planners have via their report stated "that the proposal complies with the relevant planning policy in the Scheme and should be supported, subject to conditions requiring design changes to the building and the submission of management plans for Council approval."

Doncaster Hill's next major apartment project verges on approval
666 Doncaster Road's 40m height limit envelope. Planning image: Plus Architecture

Doncaster Hill has for the best part of a decade seen medium to large apartment projects filter through on a regular basis, without necessarily experiencing an oversupply. This in turn has made it a steady contributor to Melbourne's growing acceptance of higher density living, without generating a boomtown, high-rise reputation that neighbouring Box Hill now has.

Doncaster Hill's only major current build is that of Nest at the Hill, which is under the guidance of Crema Constructions. Adjoining Doncaster Hill, Mirvac's Apartments of Tullamore project is due for a construction start whilst The Point Doncaster Hill and 686 Doncaster Road are at registrations and/or sales.

Upon approval, 666 Doncaster Road would join three additional project on Doncaster Hill in holding approval for a minimum of 100 apartments. They are 9-11 Wiliamsons Road with 151 dwellings, 659-669 Doncaster Road with 385 dwellings and 602-630 Doncaster Road which includes 267 dwellings.

Mark Baljak

Mark Baljak was a co-founder of Urban.com.au. He passed away on Thursday 8th of November 2018 after a battle with cancer. He was 37. Mark was a keen traveller, having visited all six permanently-inhabited continents and had a love of craft beer. One of his biggest passions was observing the change that has occurred in Melbourne over the past two decades. In that time he built an enormous library of photos, all taken by him, which tracked the progress of construction on building sites from across metropolitan Melbourne.

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