4.6 Former Rachel Forster Hospital

4.6 Former Rachel Forster Hospital

The former Rachel Forster Hospital site is located at 150 Pitt Street. It is bounded by Albert Street to the north, residential development to the south, Pitt Street to the east and a warehouse and residential development to the west.

Existing characteristics

The site has an area of approximately 0.7 hectares and is occupied by various buildings. A two to three storey building fronts Albert Street, which is linked to a central two storey wing. The central wing links to a five storey building extending along the southern boundary and fronting Pitt Street.

The site is identified as a heritage item in the South Sydney Local Environmental Plan. The five storeys building on Pitt Street is identified as an example of Inter-War functionalist style hospital building.

The Hospital closed in 2003 when staff and facilities were transferred to the nearby Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown. A community health facility currently operates from the building fronting Albert Street.

The site is surrounded by residential development. Development along Pitt Street and Albert Street is characterised by two storey terrace houses. The southern boundary of the site is adjoined by a modern residential development up to four storeys in height.

Existing land use zone

The site is zoned ‘Special Uses – Hospital’ under the South Sydney LEP. Permissible uses within the zone are restricted to hospital and supporting uses, as well as permissible uses in adjacent zones (in this case residential zone).

Proposed land use concept

Predominantly residential development consistent with the surrounding land uses. Provide the opportunity for community uses in keeping with the residential use.

Diagram 4.11 (pdf ~413kb) illustrates the proposed land use concept for the site.

Proposed design concept

Respect the character of existing development and development on Albert and Pitt Streets and provide an appropriate interface with adjoining and surrounding residential development by:

• providing a three storey height limit to Albert Street in response to the scale of terrace housing that dominates the street
• ensure that new buildings along Albert Street have the same rhythm and proportions as terrace housing
• allowing buildings of up to six storeys on the central and southern sections of the site
• locating on-site car parking below ground level
• ensuring new development responds to the predominant terrace house typology along Pitt Street with a contemporary interpretation
• discouraging blank facades and extensive car parking entry and servicing areas along public streets.

Protect the heritage of the site by:

• identifying heritage items on the site in accordance with the Heritage Strategy in Section 3.5
• ensuring new development responds sensitively to significant heritage items
• retaining and adaptively reusing the heritage buildings and landscape associated with the site
• encouraging an interpretation plan to commemorate the history of the site and conservation of significant features such as the memorial panels.

The provision and configuration of open space is to:

• be in accordance with the Open Space and Public Domain Strategy in Section 3.3
• provide quality landscaping to reinforce the landscape setting of the site and Pitt Street
• provide a high level of residential amenity for new developments by providing adequate private and communal open space within and around the site
• be located and designed to achieve a high level of privacy and separation between dwellings
• be provided for all new dwellings
• be adjacent to active uses to enable surveillance and maximise the safety and security of open spaces
• have good solar access
• be appropriately designed and landscaped with planting, paving, lighting, benches, and furniture.

Orientate new development towards Pitt and Albert Streets to provide surveillance of the public spaces for improved safety.

The proposed heights and floor space ratio for the site are illustrated in Diagram 4.12 (pdf ~440kb).

Proposed land use zone

• Residential Zone - Medium Density Residential