16-storey Gzira towers set for approval

MEPA set to approve a 16 storey building in Gzira in a public meeting tomorrow

The application proposes a commercial and residential high-rise building with a public, open landscaped plaza at ground level and three underground levels of car parking.
The application proposes a commercial and residential high-rise building with a public, open landscaped plaza at ground level and three underground levels of car parking.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority is set to approve a 16 storey building in Gzira in a public meeting on Thursday.

A Project Description Statement (PDS) which outlines the possible impacts of this development was not published on the MEPA website as usually happens in similar cases but extracts published in the case officer report warn that the development could have an impact on historical views and landscapes.

The development, proposed by Jean Borg of ADMP Limited, consists of a multi-storey, mixed-use commercial and residential development. It will include three basement parking levels accommodating 125 car parking spaces, landscaped public open space and cafeteria at street level with overlying office space over a floor area of 4,435sqm, and 10 residential units.

An application for a four-storey and penthouse development on the same site was approved by MEPA in 2011. This means that the impact of the project was already partially addressed before developers opted to apply the floor area ratio; a mechanism through which building height is raised to increase surrounding open spaces.

The application for the development was presented for screening in June 2014 and was only published on the MEPA website and newspapers in April 2015 after it was validated. This means that the application is being approved in a record time of four months.

Extracts of the unpublished PDS quoted in the case officer report noted that the significant increase in height has potential implications for landscape and visual amenity, particularly in relation to the identified strategic view corridors of ‘Valletta and the Marsamxett Harbour to Msida Church and towards Mdina’, and the ‘University to Tigne Point, Marsamxett Harbour and Valletta’.

It also states that the proximity of the proposed development to the Gzira urban conservation area is also pertinent “in respect of the potential impacts on the cultural and historical landscape”.

The PDS also noted that the significant increase in the height of the development could potentially have implications for wind circulation around the development and the wind microclimate of the surrounding streets.

“The proposed tall building could also have potential overshadowing implications in relation to the surrounding development”.

The case officer report does not address the impact of the development on the landscape. It simply states that photomontages indicate that the surrounding buildings do not contain any features of particular architectural or historic importance. And that “the design of the elevation is unlikely to adversely affect the streetscape within which the site is located”.

Heights policy only indicative

The case officer report also acknowledges that the heights policy approved in 2014 does not identify the “exact boundaries” of the locations where high-rise development can be considered.

“The specific sites where taller development may be acceptable within the appropriate locations still need to be studied further as not all sites will necessarily achieve the requirements of this policy and thus be suited to a tall building”, the case officer report says.

The policy simply designates appropriate locations for tall buildings, which include “the Gzira employment node” predominantly for office uses.

The exact boundaries for the tall building clusters within the appropriate locations have not been identified, neither the appropriate heights nor the number of tall buildings, which should comprise the cluster.

Thus, the boundaries of the employment node in Gzira in the Local Plan serve only as a preliminary indication of the area where tall buildings may be located and are not exclusive zones.

The case officer report states that the location of a specific site in an appropriate location does not imply that it is “undoubtedly suitable for a tall building”.  But the United Garage site is deemed acceptable.

Going high in Gzira

MEPA has already issued a permit for the Metropolis development in Gzira, which belongs to a member of the Husni Bey family of Libyan entrepreneurs The permit was issued in 2009 and renewed in June 2013, for three high-rise buildings consisting of 15, 29 and 35 floors over a public piazza connecting Enrico Mizzi and Testaferrata streets.

In 2014 a new policy was approved on building heights, which identified Gzira as one of the localities where these developments can be approved.

The site is a fully detached triangular-shaped plot of land occupying an area of approximately 1,410sqm fronting Triq il- Gzira, Triq il-Rebha and Triq Tas-Sliema within the development zone of Gzira. The former building on site, known as the United Garage, has been demolished and the site is being excavated following the issuing of permits committing the site to a commercial/office block.

Located in close proximity to the Gzira parish church and town centre, the site context is predominantly residential in nature with a mix of commercial outlets and tourism-related establishments, including small-scale hotels and catering units primarily along the Gzira waterfront. The surrounding residential areas are characterised by traditional two- and three-storey townhouses typical of the Urban Conservation Area in the vicinity of the town centre and modern apartment developments typical of redevelopments along the Waterfront

The site is protected as a Grade E Archaeological Area where a late Roman catacomb was discovered in the land known as Qasam il-Fawwara, near the road leading to Fort Manoel and Sliema.

According to the parameters set by the FAR policy document, the total public open space should not be less than 705sqm. The total public open space being proposed at ground level is 695sqm and hence, slightly less than laid down by the policy document.

However, according to the case officer the proposed development also includes an extension of 195sqm of public open space fully accessible to the public at street level, which is roofed over at the upper levels.

Therefore, it is considered that the intentions of the FAR policy document to ensure that tall building schemes prioritise public open spaces are not being prejudiced by the proposed development.

The report also acknowledges that the site is a designated residential area where large scale commercial and office uses are not normally permitted, but notes that the site has long been committed to industrial/commercial/office purposes.

Furthermore, the heights policy parameters acknowledge that the Gzira employment node is predominantly considered for office purposes and a mix of uses is more appropriate for tall buildings. Thus, in view of the above, the proposed land uses are considered appropriate in relation to the site contest and the proposed building typology.

Traffic impact

A Traffic Impact Statement (TIS) was carried out in 2007 to assess the transport impact of the development approved in 2012. The TIS considered the existing transport network, current traffic conditions and committed highway works to establish and compare the impact of the approved and proposed developments on site, including access, parking and traffic generation while proposing modifications to improve junction capacity where possible.

While noting that the total trip generation of the proposed development is slightly higher than that of the approved development, the case officer report concludes that area wide traffic management solutions as recommended in the original TIS are required to “reduce the continuous increase in demand on the key junctions and safety-related improvements are required independent of the proposed development (refer to document).”

MEPA’s Transport Planning Unit (TPU) concluded that an updated TIS is not required since the additional 10 residential units over and above what was approved in 2012 will not generate more traffic than the 1,130sqm of office space that were reduced.

Therefore, as long as the development does not exceed 4,300sqm office space, 10 residential units and 125 car parking spaces, no TIS update was required. The case officer is recommending approval of the project subject to a planning gain to the value of €29,719.80, which would be deposited in the Planning Gain Fund. The funds raised from the planning gain shall be used to fund environmental and urban improvement projects, traffic management, green transport and similar projects in the locality of the site.