Despite their eventual success after a years-long delay, developers of the old AFP site in Weston have submitted an amendment application.
The site, now known as Fetherston Weston, was subject to a development application from Village Building Company back in 2017 that was met with backlash from the government and locals and denied in 2021.
In March this year, an alternate development application was successful pending certain conditions resulting from entity advice.
An amendment to the approved application was submitted at the end of July, but Village Building Company chief executive Vince Whiteside said the starting time should still remain the same.
He said the need for "minor modifications" was revealed when "more detailed design work" was completed after the successful application.
"The main change involves the removal of basement parking under the majority of townhouses," he said.
"This allows the development to better follow the topography of the land reducing the height of a number townhouses from three stories to two stories, providing direct vehicle access to each townhouse and improving pedestrian safety and security.
"An added benefit of this modification is the retention of more [of the] existing site and street trees. Village has also added lifts to all of the apartment buildings and changed the staging of the development to make green spaces and parkland available earlier than previously scheduled.
"It is anticipated that construction will commence in the first half of 2024."
The successful development application had a bigger variety of dwellings and building types than its predecessor despite filling less space. The previous proposal included 260 dwellings, but the inclusion of apartments on the site has raised the overall total to 337.
The area will include 26 buildings, including a mix of three-storey apartments and two-to-three storey townhouses.
The layout and master plan of the site remain unchanged, Mr Whiteside said.
The site in Weston was originally used as the Australian Federal Police Training College from 1980 until 2016.
It was on-sold to Village Building Company in 2017 by now de-registered company NEB Holdings for $32.21 million.
Less than a year later, Village had submitted their initial development application.
In October 2019, the ACT Planning and Land Authority referred the application to a large number of other parties including Access Canberra, the Environment, Planning and Development Directorate, Transport Canberra and City Services and the Conservator for Flora and Fauna. None of them were in favour.
One of the major concerns was the removal of more than 60 gum trees, which has since been resolved in the successful application.
Another major critic was current chair of the Weston Creek Community Council Bill Gemmell, who has since changed his mind since the new application came to light.
"They are well designed this time, and they engaged with the community really well. We had seen the plans and everything," he said in March.
"It will fill a valuable void in the area ... it was certainly a long time coming too.
"The only thing I would like to see is more mixed-use developments. All it is missing is a coffee shop."
The opportunity for community consultation closes on Wednesday, August 16.
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