50-52/54 Phillip Street New Hotel/Residential Building Stage 1 Concept DA

See TfNSW response submitted by Para Sangar.

The proponent has not addressed the utility requirements in the EIS and has not assessed the impacts of the proposal on existing electrical infrastructure
or how any potential impacts would be managed.
Ausgrid notes the requirement for additional load to the development and recommends the proponent to submit a connection application to Ausgrid as soon as practicable.
Ausgrid has 132,000V cables buried along Phillip St hence suitable precautions should be adopted by the development regarding the construction and ongoing operation of the facility in the vicinity of these cables. The proponent is to obtain the plans through DBYD and refer to Ausgrid Network Standard NS156 regarding working near these cables.

Please refer to letter attached.

A copy of the TfNSW response letter is attached.

Please see Sydney Water's response attached.

SSDA 34196 50-52 PhillipStreet New Hotel/Residential Building Stage 1 ConceptDA.Public Works Building I am not opposed to the conservation and adaptive use of the former PublicWorksBuilding BUT the present proposal is totally inappropriate and intrusive, using this site for a hotel/residence would be an absurd structure in this tight heritage area. The demolition,pile-driving and construction and building of such a structure would make living at the Astor impossible.
The Astor's Macquarie Street drop-off area is used as a Clearway twice daily, 4 Hours each time!! So Phillip Lane is our only drop-off and delivery are, with 5 minutes
stopping area in a One Lane section. As Wilsons CarPark exclusively uses Phillip Lane for exiting cars, with Hotel/Resident/Taxi/Delivery as well, the Lane would be blocked continually, A NIGHTMARE!
Please consider that this proposal would erode the appreciation and ambience of living at The Astor.
Given the number of impacts and their seriousness i strongly urge the Departmnt to refuse the application.
Sincerely, Helen Gallagher

Bridge Street and part of Phillip Street in the Sydney CBD contain some very significant nineteenth century buildings. These have been maintained in reasonable condition over many years and there has been some sympathetic reuse. The proposed development in my opinion is not in harmony with the nineteenth century buildings and completely out of scale. It's essential that at least some part of the nineteenth century streetscape is retained - this is not possible when buildings of this scale and type are permitted. From the mid twentieth century until now, the vast majority of the pre-highrise city has been lost. Overwhelming remaining outstanding examples of colonial architecture with proposed developments such as this is completely inappropriate and should not be approved.

Attention: Karl Fetterplace

Objection to SSDA 34196 50-52 Phillip Street New Hotel/Residential Building Stage 1 Concept DA

Dear Karl.
I wish to strongly object to the proposed building at 50-52 Phillip Street Sydney.

I believe that this development can achieve just one aim; to line the pockets of developers at the expense of the inhabitants of our city and the protection of our cultural heritage.

To my mind this proposal is a highly objectionable structure that will canter-lever out over its neighbour, a highly significant Nationally Listed Heritage Building in Phillip Street.

What a disgraceful outcome this would be for our city. Imagine building a forty-seven story hotel canter-levering out over the Pantheon in Rome, or growing like a malignant cancer over the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London or any other culturally important building. The suggested development at Phillip Street would create that future for one of the very few historic buildings in Sydney. I believe that is why we see an increasing number of Sydney’s leading Heritage Architects voicing their objection to this development.

Apart from that important issue, the proposed building presents other problems that are important to me.

First is the undeniable fact that Phillip Street and Phillip Lane (at the rear) simply cannot cope with servicing a multi room, forty-seven story hotel.
Don't think it can, it can't. My apartment faces directly onto Phillip Lane and I can assure you that the laneway so often can’t cope with the current traffic impact. Just one car or one truck in the laneway blocks access for the entire lane. It simply could not cope with multiple vehicles. Also Phillip street itself is an important bus route for all the South and Easterly buses coming from Circular Quay. It too cannot cope with the type of increased traffic the Hotel would hope to generate.

Second is the sheer scope of the proposed building and its impact on the local environment. There are twenty four apartments in The Astor (on Macquarie Street) that face directly onto Phillip Lane. That’s twenty four apartments that will suffer significant light reduction and a dramatic increase in noise from the Laneway.

And then there is the developers suggestion that they create three levels of sub-terranean car parking by excavating under the heritage building, out under the entire width of Phillip Lane and up to the very foundations of The Astor. I believe this is a preposterous suggestion to overcome an unsolvable problem for hotel parking.

I make my point that government’s job is to create a living city, a city that is developed and designed to maintain and enhance the quality of life for its inhabitants. It is not the goal of government to line the pockets of developers at the expense of the city's residents.

I know that the Astor Board of Directors has prepared a more comprehensive list of objections and I’m sure many of the Astor residents will be sending those objections to you. For that reason, I have focussed on the key points that are most significant for me and my family.

I understand that you and your colleagues face a difficult decision. I can only imagine the pressures that can be brought to bear by developers who have no objective other than to make money. They may not be interested in the long term cultural aspects of our city or the quality of life for the neighbours. They may simply want to make the deal and make the money. In that case they could simply leave and the people of Sydney would have live with the consequences.

You may be in a position to help stop this from happening. I ask you to do so.

Regards
Lincoln Gray
Apartment 32 Level 3, The Astor Apartments
123-125 Macquarie Street Sydney.

Heritage NSW comments on Aboriginal cultural heritage matters attached.

The claim that the development is a state significant development is not true or valid. The proposal destroys the last of the Bridge Street sandstone buildings by creating an eyesore that has no public benefit. Hotels in the city are only good for quarantine these days and there are plenty available for that. The design is not post-pandemic friendly. In fact it's not friendly for anyone other than the developer. This is no way to treat public assets and heritage buildings specifically. These buildings belong to the people not the short term governments to sell as they please. To create more ugliness will only deter more tourists from visiting Sydney and the profits from the development will go overseas anyway so any residual public benefit is lost along with our respective for heritage.

The project involves destroying the heritage of the people both for the current and future generations. The callous sale and development of this property destroys some of the last of the remaining exquisite sandstone building heritage of Sydney. To avoid scrutiny by calling this a state significant development is misleading. The proposal should be put through due process through Council like any other. There is no benefit to the NSW public from this development. Opal Towers was also a state significant development as is the Narrabri Gas Project which will destroy our environment, poison our water and place thousands of lives at risk. State significant developments should have public benefits. This hotel does not have any benefit to anyone other than the developers and the investors. It is not valid to claim there is any aesthetic benefit from this crooked overgrowth. It should be located near the Crown Casino because they match each other. Please do not try to claim there is any benefit to the people of NSW because that is a farce. Please do not try to claim the proposed building is in any way worth including in this vicinity which is a beautiful part of the city and can be viewed from the harbour and is currently a very pleasant walk from the Quay. This is all contributing to the destruction of Sydney and its beautiful heritage as a tourist destination.

1. The proposed building will adversely impact the character and appreciation of the urban context which reflect the prestige address and design of the Astor.
2. The proposed building will be a massive intrusion into the historic site containing 50 Phillip Street.
3. The proposed building will intrude into the appreciation of the broader complex which includes 121 Macquarie Street.
4. I recognise that the indicative design architects are well renowned, but I believe that they have been asked to design something that is flawed as a concept.
5. I request that the Department refuse consent for the application.

I am opposed to the project

Our main concern is about the high wind vortices produced by the extreme altitude and proximity of the tower to the Astor's communal heritage terrace and loggia - as explained in the attachment

Objection to SSDA 34196 50-52 Phillip Street New Hotel/Residential Building Stage 1 Concept DA

We object to the above proposal for the following reasons.
1…The size and scope of the development is far too large to fit into the Governor’s Domain and Civic Precinct heritage boundary area, It disregards the heritage significance of The Chief Secretary’s Building and The Astor, and has a severe impact on the surrounding buildings including The First Government House site and The Royal Australian Historical Association.

2. Phillip Lane is a service lane for the buildings backing onto it from both Macquarie Street and Phillip Street, it is already overstretched with traffic due to the impact of more service vehicles of significant size and there is next to no room for pedestrians. The exit onto Macquarie Street is already dangerous for pedestrians and extremely difficult for vehicles to exit into Macquarie Street. In busy times of the day it is difficult to exit and impossible to access the right-hand turn lane onto the Harbour Bridge. The end result will be Phillip Lane becoming a potential parking station for through traffic trying to exit. These problems will exacerbate the already difficulties for taxies , delivery vehicles, cars and removalist vans that service the Astor residents.

3. The impact on The Astor
a) This proposed building will adversely impact on the character of The Astor and erode its value as a prestige historic building. Over the past years a considerable amount of money has been spent by the owners to ensure the heritage character of the building is preserved to the highest standard.
b) It will intrude into the Astor in many ways - PRIVACY, particularly the western apartments and the rooftop communal open space. NOISE – this will be a problem not just whilst it is being built but the addition of many more people and services in a confined space will have a detrimental effect on apartment living. REDUCTION OF VIEWS. Not only will views be impacted for apartments on the Phillip Lane side but there will be a feeling of CLAUSTROPHOBIA as the building envelope is far too close to The Astor building. This also creates SAFETY and SECURITY concerns as it will become a dark passageway with no natural light..

In summary the size and scope of the proposed building is not suitable for the Governor's Domain and Civic Precinct heritage area.

The proposal is an extremely poor use of a government asset and a massive visual and physical intrusion on the townscape and the neighbouring buildings.
The excessive bulk of the tower requires a massive pillar within the highly significant light well of 50 Phillip Street rather than cantilevering from 52 Phillip Street which is obviously too small for this form of structural gymnastics. The use of the light well will greatly limit the adaptive reuse potential of the historic building and is wholly unacceptable.
The proposal represents a gross over development and egregious abuse of public space.
50 Phillip St is fit for many Government purposes. It does not need this poorly judged intrusion. The circular argument used to justify the damaging hotel use in the SoHI is, in my opinion, woeful - reuse can't be argued because the intrusive changes needed are essential to its proposed use particularly when more suitable uses are readily available.
I request the Department refuse consent for the application

Please see attachment.

Please see attachment

I urge the Department to refuse the application because of detrimental heritage impacts on 50 Phillip Street Sydney, adverse traffic impacts on Phillip Lane and proximity of the proposed building to the residential apartments in The Astor located at 123-125 Macquarie Street, affecting privacy and amenity .

I support the project on the condition that changes to the project are made to move the eastern building alignment several metres further from the rear of the Astor across from Phillip Lane, and that the design be changed so that the loading doc entrance is from Phillip St.