Gregory Place Build-to-Rent

Hambledon is one of the oldest houses in Australia. It is the work of one of our first architects, Henry Kitchen, who designed it for John MacArthur. Since the 1950s the house has been the headquarters of the Parramatta Historical Society. On the other side of the creek behind the house is a factory building from the 1950s. Anything now to be built on the site should be within that envelope. What is proposed is outrageous and will destroy one of the most historic sites in Australia. Parramatta should stop destroying itself with huge buildings overpowering historic buildings.

I strongly object to the proposal of three large scale buildings within the site at 2A Gregory Place, Harris Park on heritage grounds.

The proposal will destroy the historic setting of Hambledon Cottage, and its critical connection to its highly significant historic setting which includes Experiment Farm and Elizabeth Farm.

Disgracefully the proposal would undo significant efforts by the community and government over many years to increase the parkland setting of Experiment Farm and Hambledon Cottage.

The proposal should not be approved.

I also desire that Government be better informed on the heritage issues of the land, and community desires. A project like this should never have gotten past initial consideration.

I object to this proposal; because of the enormous impact to the historic setting of Hambledon Cottage and the impact to the broader area which encompasses Elizabeth Farm and Experiment Farm. The historic connections between these three early colonial places are very significant and should be enhanced through careful planning, not destroyed by a multi-storey and multiple building development.

It will impact views from Experiment Farm and Elizabeth Farm. This site could support affordable housing but not in this form which will will have an immense impact on the character of Harris Park.

The project is excessive in both its bulk and scale and not reflective of the fragility of the surrounding state significant area.The area is fundamental to the heritage of both the local area and establishment of the colony during the 1800’s. This cannot be underestimated.
Current government authorities have an opportunity to make good on the wrongs of past regulatory authorities and change the current zoning to a more heritage focused area.
The plan presented by the property developer does not appreciate the history of the area, parking concerns, bulk / scale and therefore should be rejected in it’s entirety.

The 8 levels and the 450 + units are of great concern to me when it comes to privacy issues for my parish, Our Lady of Lebanon. We have many out family events and sacred sacramental celebrations inside our church as well as outside. The traffics congestion around our parish is extremely heavy on feast days and significant holy days in our Catholic Church, having so many more extra residents literally at our doorstep will cause kaos and mayhem

I object and do not support the project as it will affect and disrespects my Maronite Church and community.

I have concerns about the impact the proposed development will have on the aesthetics, character and liveability of the area.
The development is not only in a heritage area but will be built less than 100 metres away from a registered heritage site, hambeldon cottage. The area is also home to trees that are 200 years old. The development is not sensitive to this fact at all. I also find it bizarre that many residential developments in our area keep getting knocked back due to the impact they may have on heritage sites such as Elizabeth Farm or Hambeldon Cottage even though they are kilometres away but this development is deemed to be sympathetic to that, especially considering how close the buildings are to a registered heritage site.
Furthermore the only entry in and out of the site is through a cul-de-sac which raises questions regarding traffic and congestion within the area. This will result in more cars, more foot traffic and therefore more congestion in an already densely populated area. Surely 483 apartments will result in at least 1,000 new residents to the area and just as many cars.
The development is also close to the to Our Lady of Lebanon co-cathedral which is one of the largest parishes in Australia. The parish is extremely busy and when mass and events are on this has a significant impact on traffic and congestion in the area. This development is just going to add to these issues. Furthermore the proposed development will affect the lookout and view of the church.
Finally what additional amenities are being built in order yo cater for an increase in residents to the area- supermarkets, car parking, etc.

Adverse impact to the traffic in the area , parking problems, overshadowing onto OLOL church . Potential 483 units which will be too close to the church and most likely will request the church to be shut down once tenants move into their units

I am a resident of the Parramatta local area.
This development at 2a Gregory Place Harris Park will effect me in the followings ways:
A) The building will cast shadowing over the OLOL Church blocking sunlight and I won't have the privacy to pray been exposed to the buildings windows facing the church.
B) I already face traffic delays to travel to the railway station, the local shops, the doctor and to the church. Cramming thousands of people in a small area, with a good percentage of people having cars will make our life difficult and more stressful.
C) The parking spaces will become ZERO when I want to visit Hambleton cottage and the OLOL church in special events.
D) The crime and the social unrest will increase making the Parramatta local area not a good place to enjoy good living.
E) The site will cause additional water runoff when it rains causing flooding. the plants and animal habitat on this site will be distroyed.
This is not a good project for the Parramatta local community. We have many vacant units in Parramatta and cramming a lot of people in a small read with limited roads access is not acceptable. I propose to turning the area in to parkland for the locals to enjoy.

The Development will obscure to the landscape and view of the Our Lady Of Lebanon Church. Due to other near by developments of apartments of which there are too many near by. This will add to the already heavy traffic to the very congested roads. This will also interfere with the church’s events of which the side walk are used for prosessions. Also this will damage the natural beauty by adding this construction to the area.

The proposed project will have a massive negative material impact on our community blocking the view of our Cathedral and spiritual hub. It will have a negative impact on the shading, the proposed building will be much higher than our Cathedral, blocking the beautiful view of the surroundings, blocking the sun. to be honest it would devastating to see this project going through. Already the Cathedral stained glass windows are being damaged from surrounding units tenants throwing rocks at them, and cannot find people to fix them.

For me it is my spiritual home where i find tranquillity to pray and meditate, and having the clear view from the side of the proposed project, brings me relaxing feeling.

By approving this project thousands of parishioners would be devastated, this Cathedral is a home for 10s of thousands of parishioners. the noise, the visible signs put in the past against what we believe in from surrounding units, plus the damage from throwing rocks is more than annoying and enough reason not to approve new close by buildings projects. More surrounding new tall building would definitely increase the tension between citizens and we don't want that to happen.

By approving this project, coming to the Cathedral that is surrounded by 3 tall buildings higher than the Cathedral, would feel like coming to a prison. Instead of coming to a place of worship and tranquillity and peace. A place of worship and especially such a Cathedral should have a lot of space around it, and not buildings surrounding it that it would make you feel like you are getting suffocated by tall buildings around blocking the view.

I would urge you to respect the opinion of our community that are massive part of this area and the LGA, and especially of Our Lady Of Lebanon Cathedral, and not to go ahead with this project as we strongly disagree and object the approval of this project.

Hi,

As a parishioner of Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral, I object to this project as this will block out natural lighting to the church and cause the view of the church be blocked. It could also cause hate crimes with people throwing rubbish and objects at our church or the cars parked in the parking lot.

To whom this may concern,

Re: 2A Gregory Place

We believe that the current proposal of developing 483 apartments and multiple buildings some towering over 8 levels would be greatly unsympathetic to the area as it will be constructed only within a few metres from the historically significant Hambleton Cottage (1821). There are many issues of concern here. They include the following;

- Gregory place is a cul de sac street- this development of 483 apartments will create unimaginable traffic issues for this dead end street and its current residents.

- The height of the buildings will be above the church balconies. The distance between the balconies of the church and the verandas of the proposed development are very close. The opposing church is the largest in the southern hemisphere. This may cause many grievances between residents and the church. The church has many community events not to mention a congregation of up to 10,000 Parishioners on a weekly basis. This already creates congestion and traffic in the area.

-The proposed development is totally unsympathetic to the area. Disguising this development as a "Build to rent" for the purpose to allowing the build to occur is “virtue signalling” and the main motive here is making millions of dollars for the developers and as a consequence destroying this beautiful area and heritage space.

We urge the department of planning and environment to reject this proposal and see it for what it really is. A money grab for the developers and a total disregard for the area and its heritage significance.

Regards.
PK

I object this project for so many reasons that will affect the community, parishioners, and environment. The surrounding of the Cathedral should be left empty, because it will block the view and make us feel like we are in a city prison, especially when those buildings are going to be higher than the Cathedral itself. The building noise and the physical damage history that occurred and still occurring to the Cathedral copped from surrounding neighbours and hatred individuals toward our faith, still having effect till today on the Cathedral building and parishioners. we don't need more buildings around and more apartments around. this space should be left empty and lower than the Cathedral. The Cathedral is a place of worship, prayer and meditation. it will block the sunlight to the Cathedral, space around the Cathedral should be left empty or turned into a park for families and relaxation.

Hi, I would just like to comment on the buildings in the proposal. I think there are to many and that they are too tall. I am a parishioner at Our Lady of Lebanon, the church is an Icon and Beacon of hope for more than just the Maronite community. I fear the proposed buildings will block the view and change the dynamics of what our parish has to offer, more importantly the influx of more residents to an area that is barely coping with traffic will only add more strain and stress to the locals who are struggling with the heavy demands that are placed on our roads. I feel the money could be better spent on road infrastructure, the further revision of tolls to lesson the load on the locals as many commuters who live in the greater west are avoiding the tolls and placing a huge burden on our roads in and around the Parramatta area. Vehicle idle time on our roads is increasing at a rapid rate with no sign of relief in the near future, I fear this development will only add more strain on our already suffering road system.

Re: Property 2A Gregory Place HARRIS PARK -

Your urgent attention is needed -you have a duty of care to protect the Community of our rich heritage from these over illegal developments that will have a catastrophic effect on the community

How in Gods name a Development Application – Planning proposal would even be considered.

You only need to see the property directly in from of the proposal known Hambledon Cottage Museum one of the oldest historical homes in the Parramatta -Harris Park region

In the past you have demonstrated good reasoning in other parts of NSW and Parramatta against non compliant with all the planning controls in place

The Parramatta City Council along with the Heritage Council of NSW have stated-this is an over development as it lacks sufficient infrastructure – as it only has one entry from Hassall Street into Gregory Place

Wouldn’t this be the perfect place to commence a new business in a fitted out factory creating jobs

Finally what happened to rate paying citizens that have to comply with the legislation and develop what is currently permissible under the current L.E.P.(Land Environment Plan)

We urge you to take the approiate action to stop this development

I provide my submission in dot point format
* The current height of the main industrial building on the site is noted as 23.54m (RL 28.85) which equates to 6 or 7 storeys. The whole proposed development should be no higher than the current building.
* The proposal is a massive over-development of the site.
* The proposal during construction and once completed will have a huge impact on traffic entering Gregory Place from Parkes St, especially right-hand turns into/from Parkes St.
* The current car park area should be a transition from the 2 SHR reserves to the new development and not have such a massive detrimental impact on the visual and amenity of the surrounding reserves. The proposed development on the current car park site will disect the reserves and lose the historic open space connection between Hambeldon Cottage and Experiment Farm Cottage (including their reserves)
* The proposal speaks of being 'progessively scaled' yet there is very little evidence of this , especially for Building C in the current car park area which is 7 & 8 storeys high.
* The proposed development will have a massive impact on views and solar access across te historic area from the residences and church on Ruse St, Alice St and Gregory Place.
* The proposed development will have a huge visual impact that will set a dangerous precedent. It will be like a massive sentinel standing over the 3 SHR sites, 3 HCAs and several LEP heritage items that together form a nationally significant heritage area.
* The Visual Imapct analysis is full of incorrect and misleading information. The 7 selected locations do not reveal the full extent of the visual impact of this massive over-development on the local area. The visual impact on all 7 locations hase been significantly downplayed. Views 1-4 should be High - Moderate and Views 5-7 should be High. This is the difference of a person attending on a single day to take a photo from set location to a person who lives near to the site and understands more fully the visual impact on the area.
* The Visual Impact analysis also neglects to consider the visiual impact from various points of the neighbouring HCAs, LEP heritage items, nor the local amenities, particularly Our Lady of Lebanon Church.
* Apart from the roof top gardens it is difficult to see how the Connection with Country principles have been applied to this massive over-development proposal.
Response Summary
Whilst I understand this development is very likely to go ahead, I sincerely hope this is not granted SSD status and that the DPE recognise the mas sand scale of this proposal is too great and detrimental to the heritage, traffic and amenity of the local area. I am particularly concerned that the current car park site - Building C - is too too great and must be scaled down substantially or is refused altogether.
David Hoffman
Harris Park

There are various reasons to object to the project due to the local community church and schools that are in that area.
I am a parishioner at Our Lady of Lebanon and my daughter will start Kindergarten there next year.
The proposed heights of the buildings will cause the following:
* Lack of sunlight into the grounds of the schools, day care and the church grounds when family events are being held which ultimately affects children growing up in the community?
* When we are at church, the grounds are beautiful when the sun hits
* Why does it need to be so high, why can't they be lower in order to preserve the residential houses, the church and the school communities in the area?
The quantity of units is quite excessive for the area. There is already a lot of congestion around the school for pick up and drop off times and being a working mother paying taxes, I do believe we need to alleviate the amount of units being built.
I understand we are about building cities and housing however we also need to preserve community, families and reduce some congestion to the already over congested areas.
When we attend a function at church, the area does have limited parking as it is quite a large community overall that values family, faith and community.
I respectfully ask that you do not allow it to be higher than the Mary on top of the Church as there are a lot of varying factors and impact it will have.
Not everything needs to be about profitability and money - please preserve community, faith and nature.

Dear Sir/Madam,
i live one street away from the proposed development. i have never objected to a development or signed a petition but this one is different. the proposed construction will have a material impact and be detrimental not only to the character of the area but to the functions of the cathedral which are a centrepoint of the suburb. below are the concerns listed in the change.org petition which I put forward wholeheartedly and request your consideration to the objections noted therein:

1. Inconsistent with the heritage of the area

Presently Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral is a significant landmark in the Western Sydney and in particular the Parramatta area. The statue of Our Lady is widely recognised and is significant to many of the Catholic and other Christian faithful in the area. Further, the parish is situated in a conservation precinct which includes Elizabeth Farm and the area has significant cultural history. The area is an excellent example of the stages of indigenous history, colonial history and the waves of migration that have occurred in the area. The proposed series of buildings is substantial and overpowering. It will limit the visibility of the Parish and the Church building. More importantly the development is inconsistent with current natural and building landscapes around the Parish and of the overall area in general. It is out of place in terms of the history which is so significant around it. That includes the heritage conservation area of Elizabeth Farm surrounding the parish and Hambeldon Cottage Museum which will be in front of the proposed development.

2. Privacy and Shadowing

The height of the residential apartments is considerable and will be as high as the of the statue of Our Lady at the top of the Church. The plans also show proposed roof top gardens and landscaping that overlook the parish precinct and Church. The Church is a significant place of worship and this will raise issues in relation to privacy, as the apartment will be looking into the Church, and the parish and community precinct. The current plans demonstrate shadowing which will occur from the units which will impact on the light that will enter the Church. Further, such a significant development will hamper the activities that currently occur in the Parish.

3. Increased traffic and noise impacts

The development is considerable and will have traffic and noise impacts on the Parish and the surrounding Parramatta area in general. The development will exacerbate the current traffic issues facing Parramatta at present. Hassell Street and the surrounding streets leading in and out of Parramatta already have major traffic issues which have not been addressed. The will be further exacerbated by a development of this size. Presently, the lots contain industrial factories and the activities of the Parish do not impact on the area. Having residential apartments located so closely to the Parish and school precinct will significantly reduce the ability to function as a worship community in the area.

Re: 2A Gregory Place
We believe that the current proposal of developing 483 apartments and multiple buildings some towering over 8 levels would be greatly unsympathetic to the area as it will be constructed only within a few metres from the historically significant Hambleton Cottage that was built in 1821. There are many issues of concern here. They include the following;

- Gregory place is a cul de sac street- this development of 483 apartments will create unimaginable traffic issues for this dead end street and its current residents.

- The height of the buildings will be above the church balconies. The distance between the balconies of the church and the verandas of the proposed development are very close. The opposing church is the largest in the southern hemisphere. This may cause many grievances between residents and the church. The church has many community events not to mention a congregation of more than 10,000 Parishioners on a weekly basis (funerals; weddings; masses; youth Activities and in near future aged care services). This already creates congestion and traffic in the area.

-The proposed development is totally unsympathetic to the area. Marketing publicly this development as a "Build to rent" for the purpose to allowing the build to occur is “virtue signalling” and the main motive here is making millions of dollars for the developers and as a consequence destroying this beautiful area and heritage space.

We urge the department of planning and environment to reject this proposal and see it for what it really is. it's purely a profit-making for the developers and a total disregard for the area and its heritage significance.

Sincerely Yours