New 73-home housing estate proposed for Evanston, near Gawler

A new housing estate proposed near Gawler would offer townhouses and family-sized blocks, as well as a playground and sports field.

Evanston housing estate plans artwork for tiser

A proposed new 73-house development near Gawler includes narrow townhouses up to much larger-sized blocks and aims to offer a range of homes for different budgets and family types.

The master-planned development on a sloping piece of land in Evanston, north of Adelaide includes playground, grassed area, pond and visitor carpark.

Block sizes range from much larger ones of 700 or 600 sqm along the eastern side, down to 180sq m suitable for two-storey, townhouse-style homes with two or three bedroom.

The majority range from between 375sq m to about 450 or 500. Some would be split-level homes, because of the sloping nature of the land.

It would have 73 homes, reduced from 76 after a proposed entry road in Ryde St was shifted.

One much large block is proposed for the southeast corner to appease neighbour concerns, with tree screen plantings proposed.

A map showing a proposed 73-home housing development planned for Evanston, near Gawler, north of Adelaide, with the nature reserve and playground to the left.

The plans also include a 2.4ha reserve area with numerous trees and nature playground with swings, trampoline and boulders.

It also includes a dedicated kickabout space for games, permanent pond and footpaths.

A two-tiered retaining wall is proposed for sections of the development around some houses, which is the part of the development open to public consultation.

Housing developments in the zone otherwise do not need to open for consultation.

The site’s town planner John Stimson said parts of the land were on a Gawler River flood plain that could be affected in a one-in-100-year flood.

“So we need to lift some of our site up so it is out of that flood zone,” Mr Stimson said.

It’s required several flood-zone studies to satisfy queries from Gawler Council, which is now considering the proposal.

“There is a bit of a slope at the eastern end of site, a bit of a rise that goes up four or five metres, but that’s easily dealt with,” Mr Stimson said.

“We’ve proposed some split-level blocks with two levels of the house at the front and one at the back, that’s a simple easy way to deal with it.”

The site also includes a large stormwater detention basin as part of the nature reserve.

Mr Stimson said the housing development deliberately provided a range of blocks for different price points and family sizes.