Housing and hardware store development applications approved at Orange City Council meeting on April 4

Orange City Council voted in favour of several significant development applications totalling almost $12.5 million at the April 4 meeting.

Headlining the agenda during the planning and development committee was approval for a $6.5 million housing block to be built at 1 Summer Street and 160 Woodward Streets.

The block will have six townhouses and five residential flat buildings. Townhouses will be built on the Summer Street edge, comprise of two storeys and come with two or three bedrooms as well as a garage.

The residential flat buildings on the western edge of Woodward Street will have one or two bedrooms, one car parking spot per unit and be comprised of two storeys transitioning to three storeys.

Councillor David Mallard said the proposed development was exactly what Orange needed to help combat housing shortages.

"I think it's a really good example of working to design a development that's appropriate to the neighbourhood it's going into," Cr Mallard said.

"It looks good and I thank the proponent for coming [to council] tonight and indicating that they're are happy to keep working with staff.

"I think it's a great outcome but I did want to note that in the submissions there were concerns about medium density housing not being appropriate to the area and about over development.

"I think we as a community need to accept and understand that as the city grows and while we are in a housing crisis that we need good medium density development, particularly in areas close to the CBD and services and well connected to public transport.

"It ticks a lot of boxes."

A Reece Plumbing hardware store is also set to pop up after council voted in favour of their development application. The $3.4 million project will fill the currently vacant lot at 52 Leewood Drive.

Councillor Kevin Duffy said he hoped a new business would bring costs down for residents.

"I'm going to support this 100 per cent," Cr Duffy said.

"We have another developer in town who is going to provide a service for hardware and building supplies.

"We've seen costs go through the roof in the industry so the more competition to bring costs down the better."

Finally, the old DPI building at 159-179 Kite Street has a proposed near $3 million face lift in the works.

The developer, Sandran Pty Ltd, was seeking changes to the building use, namely from public administration to an office premises.

Also proposed is a significant renovation to the building's exterior.

This would include demolition of the forecourt canopy, a reconfiguration of the main entrance, lobby, landscaping and seating as well as a new entrance on Bathurst Road.

The redevelopment would also include 66 bike storage spaces but lose 11 car parks.

Also successfully passed were the proposed parking changes across Orange. A more detailed story will be published in the coming days.

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