A new development application has been lodged with Northern Beaches Council for a mixed-use project at 10-28 Lawrence Street, Freshwater. The proposed development, submitted by Lawrence St Pty Ltd on 28 January 2025, seeks to introduce a four-storey shop-top housing development, combining residential apartments, retail tenancies, and a public plaza.
If approved, the project will involve demolishing all existing structures on-site, making way for a contemporary building designed to support Freshwater’s growing population. The development is set to feature 30 residential apartments, including six affordable housing units, alongside multiple retail tenancies at street level, contributing to the vibrancy of the town centre.
Development Overview
The proposal outlines several key features:
- A four-storey mixed-use building with shop-top housing
- 1,379m² of ground-floor retail space across 4-9 tenancies
- 30 residential apartments, consisting of:
- 6 one-bedroom apartments
- 15 two-bedroom apartments
- 9 three-bedroom apartments
- 522m² dedicated to affordable housing, equating to six apartments
- A rooftop communal open space for residents
- A two-level basement offering 44 residential and 62 retail parking spaces
- A new 268m² public plaza fronting Lawrence Street
- Public landscaping works, including a buffer planting zone at the rear
- Vehicular access from Dowling Street and pedestrian access from Lawrence Street
The site is currently zoned E1 Local Centre, which permits the proposed uses. The project aligns with the objectives of the Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011 (WLEP 2011) and Warringah Development Control Plan 2011 (WDCP 2011).
Artist Impression by Chrofi
Planning Compliance and Variations
While the development generally aligns with local planning controls, it seeks a variation to the height restriction under Clause 4.6 of the WLEP. The maximum permitted building height on the site is 11 metres, but due to the inclusion of affordable housing, a 22.32% height bonus applies, increasing the allowable height to 13.45 metres. The proposed development, however, exceeds this limit at 16.35 metres, representing a 21.56% variation.
Justification for this height variation includes:
- Provision of a 268m² public plaza, which required redistributing floorspace vertically
- The sloping nature of the site, meaning that some areas fall within height limits while others exceed them
- Design considerations, such as breaking up the mass into four distinct building blocks, helping to maintain a human scale
Community and Environmental Considerations
The proposal aims to enhance the vibrancy of Freshwater Village while minimising adverse impacts on the surrounding environment. Some key community benefits include:
- Affordable housing contribution, adding diversity to the local housing market
- A pedestrian-friendly public plaza, improving the town centre’s social infrastructure
- Street activation and retail spaces, increasing commercial opportunities for local businesses
- Enhanced landscaping, including new public domain greenery
Environmental assessments conclude that the development will not result in adverse coastal, flooding, or contamination impacts. The Coastal Environment Area Assessment confirms no significant risk from coastal processes, while the Preliminary Site Investigation found no contamination issues that would prevent the development from proceeding.
Waste and Sustainability Measures
The project is designed with environmental sustainability in mind, featuring:
- A 40m³ rainwater tank for irrigation and toilet flushing
- Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, including three residential and three retail spaces
- No gas connections for residential areas, with induction cooktops encouraged instead
- BASIX and NatHERS compliance, ensuring energy efficiency and thermal comfort
Waste management plans indicate that 99.6% of demolition waste and 95.2% of construction waste will be diverted from landfill, well above NSW Government targets.
Traffic and Parking Impacts
The development includes 106 parking spaces across two basement levels, with vehicular access from Dowling Street. A Traffic Impact Assessment determined that the project will not create excessive congestion in the area and provides adequate bicycle parking for both residents and retail customers.
Project Team
Several firms and consultants are involved in the project:
- Developer: Lawrence St Pty Ltd
- Urban Planner: Ethos Urban
- Architect: Chrofi
- Landscape Architects: 360 Degrees
- Traffic Impact Assessment: Stantec
- Acoustic Assessment: Acoustic Logic
- Flood and Stormwater Engineering: TTW
- Heritage Consultant: GBA Heritage
- Geotechnical Investigations: El Australia
- Environmental Sustainability: Efficient Living
- Building Code Compliance: Philip Chun
- Fire Engineering: Holmes
- Accessibility Assessment: Morris Goding Access Consulting
Next Steps
The application is now under assessment by Northern Beaches Council. Community members can provide feedback during the public exhibition period.
For more information, search DA2025/0077 on the Northern Beaches Council website.
