GRAND LAND PLAN

NEW PROJECT FIVE TIMES THE SIZE OF BATTERY POINT

A 350ha parcel of land will be redeveloped into Clarence’s newest suburb.

A Florida-based urban planning company has been engaged to oversee the masterplanning of the land at Droughty Point, near Tranmere.

A partner at the leading American company, DPZ Co-Design, was in Hobart this week to meet with stakeholders to discuss plans for the site. The project, which has been given the working title of “Skylands”, will be planned and delivered over the next 20 years.

Greg Carr co-owns the land after his father bought the site in 1971.

Clarence City Council is in the process of creating a structure plan for the area, which aims to manage residential growth and guide future development of the Tranmere, Droughty Point and Rokeby peninsula.

Mayor Doug Chipman said the council was working closely with the land owners and all other interested stakeholders in the development of the plan.

A SITE in Clarence five times the size of Battery Point could be the future home of a sustainable community under the direction of a leading American urban planning company.

Co-land owner Greg Carr, whose father bought the 350ha site in 1971, has engaged Florida-based urban planning company DPZ CoDesign to oversee the masterplanning of the land that is located at Droughty Point, near Tranmere.

“We are very interesting in making the best out of that property, not just for our family, but for the council, the community and everyone,” Mr Carr said.

DPZ Co-Design partner Marina Khoury is in Hobart this week to meet with stakeholders to discuss plans for the “awe-inspiring” site, which has the working title of “Skylands”.

“Not only do you see it from everywhere you go in

Hobart, once you’re on the site, the scale of it is tremendous, and it’s a beautiful property with water on all three sides,” Ms Khoury said.

“For this project to be successful, we want to design it in the presence of the community.”

Ms Khoury said there would be a week-long intensive planning workshop for community consultation that would be held on a yet to be decided date this winter.

The long-term project will be planned and delivered over a 20-year time frame.

Ms Khoury said Skylands, which is currently used as farmland, would be planned on the principles of new urbanism.

“That means connectedness, streets that feel like outdoor rooms, buildings that present a pedestrian-friendly facade to the streets, finding ways to hide garages so they don’t overwhelm the facade, streets for people to linger in,” she said.

“We want the commercial nodes to be convivial places with cafes that spill out on to sidewalks — the places people naturally want to be.”

There are Aboriginal heritage sites on the land, which were intended to be incorporated into the design.

“Any heritage asset will enhance the site,” Ms Khoury said. “There are many opportunities for wildlife corridors throughout the site. When you have a site this size, you can do it all — there’s no reason to narrow the choices.”

Clarence City Council is in the process of creating a structure plan for the area that aims to manage residential growth and guide future development of the Tranmere, Droughty Point and Rokeby peninsula.

Mayor Doug Chipman said the council was working closely with the land owners and all other interested stakeholders in the development of the plan.

“At the end of the day, council wishes to see the best possible outcomes for this most significant of places in the state,” he said.