Modification 1 to SSD-68230714

I am writing to formally oppose the proposed apartment housing development at Delmar Parade. This project raises serious concerns regarding traffic congestion, environmental impact, and the loss of public amenity, all of which will negatively affect the local community.

1. Traffic Congestion
Delmar Parade is already a heavily trafficked area, particularly during peak hours, as it serves as a key route to Pittwater Road. Increasing the number of residential units will significantly worsen congestion, leading to:
- Increased delays for local residents, businesses, and emergency services.
- Additional pressure on already strained intersections, particularly at the Delmar Parade and Pittwater Road junction.
- Greater risk of accidents due to higher traffic volume and more vehicles accessing an already congested area.

The local infrastructure is not designed to support such an increase in vehicle numbers, and no effective measures have been proposed to mitigate this impact.

2. Environmental Impact
The development poses a serious threat to the natural environment, particularly Stony Range Reserve, which is an ecologically significant area. Key concerns include:
- The loss of mature trees and natural vegetation, which provide habitat for native wildlife.
- Increased pollution and urban runoff, which can negatively affect the surrounding ecosystem.
- A reduction in green space, which contributes to the overall well-being of residents and visitors.

Once destroyed, these natural assets cannot be easily replaced, and their loss will have long-term consequences for biodiversity and the local environment.

3. Loss of Public Amenity and Views
The construction of high-density apartments will significantly alter the character of the area, leading to:
- Blocked ocean views that many residents currently enjoy.
- A loss of the area's unique charm and appeal, which is a key reason people choose to live in or visit this community.
- A potential decrease in property values for existing homeowners due to increased density and reduced scenic appeal.

Conclusion
This development prioritizes profit over the well-being of the community and the environment. The negative consequences—such as worsening traffic conditions, environmental degradation, and the destruction of public views—far outweigh any potential benefits. I strongly urge the relevant authorities to reconsider this proposal and instead focus on sustainable development that aligns with the needs of the existing community.

I appreciate your consideration of my concerns and look forward to a decision that prioritizes the interests of current residents and the local environment.

I am writing to express my concerns with regards to the impact of traffic in the area. I currently reside at 2 Delmar Parade Dee Why and am concerned about the proposed closure to the right hand turn when northbound on Pittwater Road into Delmar parade (and right hand turn out of Delmar to travel Northbound on Pittwater Road) being removed. This will effectively mean that to travel North as I exit my current residence I will have to drive south on Pittwater Rd (I am not able to turn right currently as I exit the driveway due to the road divider on Delmar Rd) and then loop around behind my residence via a significant detour to then be able to get to a point where I am able to continue North on Pittwater rd. I will also have the same issue when coming home from work each day. This will add a significant time and distance to my journeys that I currently do not have to deal with. I also would like clarification on the road divider that current blocks turning right into the driveway of 2 Delmar parade when turning in from Pittwater road. I currently have to drive past the divider and then conduct a U turn on Delmar Parade to be able to get access to my driveway. If we add a significant amount of traffic to what is already and extremely congested street this will cause a heightened opportunity for an incident to happen. What are the plans with regards to the road divider?
I note with interest that the traffic research that has been conducted for the area was at its newest conducted in 2021? I am not sure how this is reflective of the current conditions in the area. Dependent on when it was conducted in 2021 NSW was coming out of lock down and at that time there would have been a very high percentage of people still working from home and as such traffic numbers would be significantly lower than they are now. If the proposed construction at 4 Delmar Parade is adding upwards of 300 car spaces I question the validity of the data that has been used to determine what impact these additional cars will have on the traffic volume and flow in the immediate and surrounding areas. Especially given that the access to the 300 car spaces will be via a single driveway on an already congested and narrow street (due to the full on street parking that is already an issue) that has a divider that requires the residents of 2 Delmar to U-turn to access their property if entering Delmar Parade from Pittwater Rd.

I am acutely aware that we sadly live in the age of misinformation and now find ourselves and the residents of 2 Delmar Parade the victims of such from Landmark. Over the last 2 years we have been told the building at No. 4 will be 3 levels - then 5 - now 6/7 Can we expect another letter from you soon saying it will be 9?

Light, privacy and views are the top three assets of any property - the very reasons we bought our 6th floor unit 2 years ago - UNAWARE that all these will now be gone and our quality of life dramatically diminished and the value of our unit greatly reduced.

The traffic on Delmar Parade will be a nightmare as will the inevitable pollution and obvious environmental damage.

Having endured the horrendous noise and dust over the last 12 months, I am trying to hang on to my sanity in the quixotic expectation that Landmark will immediately drop this outrageous redevelopment proposal and revert to their original plan.

Regarding the addition of extra units , my husband and I feel that this will impact on life style , Delmar parade is already a very busy street with limited access to parking , the extra units add extra everything people cars and strain on the local schools drs and services in the area .

I object strongly to the currently exhibited expansion of the building at 4 Delmar Parade Dee Why for the following reasons:

Environmental damage – significant shading and disturbance/ destruction of the nature reserve Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, destroying natural habitats leading to loss of biodiversity and displacement of wildlife. Water table loss due to the excessive depth of the basement area and need for constant pumping of the seepage.

Pollution – an excessive number of apartments in one area with run off polluting natural waterways and soil which will impact human health and the environment.

Excessively increased greenhouse emissions due to lack of natural air drying areas for laundry, excessive use of air-conditioning from such a dense cluster of apartments blocking natural breezes.

Flood risks due to excessive hard surfaces and limited drainage in a valley which is a natural collection point from adjacent hills.

Loss of green space – loss of trees and grass areas which were on the site and damage or loss of Stony Range.

Traffic congestion – an additional 280 apartments will (and already is) causing chaos on a busy small winding hilly local road in bad condition with accident potential massively increasing due to turning cars, and blocked median strips causing cars to do U turns, and block the road looking for parks, increased deliveries etc. There have already been several incidents where large trucks turning into Delmar Parade from the middle lane of AM peak hour Pittwater Road have collided with cars and motorbikes, mainly due to inadequate signage and traffic control (warning signs blow over in the wind etc).

The quality of life for those already in the area will be negatively impacted due to increased noise and light pollution, significant loss of views due to excessive height of the structure (massively above previously agreed limits), loss of sunlight due to shading.

Overcrowding of the Delmar Parade area will strain resources and impact the quality of life for residents. (schools, hospitals, shops and emergency services).

Inadequate infrastructure such as roads, water supply, sewer systems and electricity supply already under strain in the area causing power outages at peak times, low water pressure, traffic.

Finally the massive disruptions in the area due to the construction, being unbearable noise throughout the day, times well outside the conditions given in the consent, a massive amount of dust and pollution, traffic congestion due to trucks delivering and taking away waste, light pollution from large crane illuminated signs and spotlights and site lighting, noise from pumps running 24/7 to try to keep substantial seepage under control.

Significantly, during the excavation of the site, important conditions made by the Land and Environment Court to control these disruptions have been mostly ignored by Landmark causing a massive exacerbation of the impacts of the construction on the quality of life to those living nearby.

I object strongly to the addition of 3 more apartments, the position at the very front of the block will dominate and overbear the street. The upper floors need to be stepped back from the street and kept away as far as possible from No 2 Delmar.

I also object strongly to the entire 6th floor of the development and appeal that consideration be made to decrease the height of the building to 5 levels only, which is more than a reasonable increase from the original 3 levels passed by the Northern Beaches Council.
Alternately, if a 6th level was passed, that it be set well back from the street to half way down the building as was exhibited last July(?), leaving only 5 levels at the front half of the building.

It is with disdain that I read that Landmark have asked yet again for an even greater expansion of the ridiculously oversized buildings about to be built at 4 Delmar and 812 Pittwater Road.

I feel fatigued that we have had to address this so many times and the audacity of the developer in coming back with yet another expansion makes me feel that any opinion from the public will be ignored. We need closure on this building for the sake of our mental health and certainty of the future. Will this outcome be another kick in the teeth for those living around the new building?

Of course Australia needs more housing due to the poor government policies such as:

Erosion of apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships run by employers, the decay of TAFE colleges, the courses offered by universities modified for foreign student intake and offering degrees that are popular but do not lead to a real job/ career.

This leading to excessive intake of new Australians from overseas as a short term fix, but no change to the original issue so this has become long term.

Another recent short term government policy of ‘pass any development that provides more housing’ regardless of the long term problems this causes.
Also, hey developers, ‘have another floor or 2 if you provide some ‘affordable housing in the mix’ even if no one can afford the rent anyway! Even if another floor or 2 exceeds height limits set by councils to try to keep things under control for the future and maintain existing reasonable quality of life for residents.
Local councils have drained their coffers paying legal costs trying to keep development in some sort of control for the longer term and have completely lost of any control of town planning and allowing those already housed any prospect of a comfortable and enjoyable life even though they have worked hard and paid taxes their entire working lives so that they can enjoy their futures trusting that government will do the right thing by them in return.

Are we a democracy or are we becoming a socialist republic run by big business/ property developers?

The vast majority of people in Dee Why are not aware just how big this development will be – the process of exhibiting the application fails because unlike the council process, few people are aware of it and those that are, have considerable difficulty finding and navigating your website, trying to read the plans, and knowing how to make a submission – so of course there are few submissions from the community. I also note that the exhibition period for this is a very brief 2 weeks, considering it is such a major project affecting so many.
I can assure you that there are many in Dee Why who object to this development, but you are just not hearing them.

These people, some of which are my neighbors and friends who live in the Dee Why area, are watching it turned into an over-crowded, dirty and becoming a dangerous place to live.
Traffic on the decaying roads is choked throughout the working week as well as weekends as the excessive number of vehicles fill the roads. Again no government policies helping with mass transit systems or any significant improvement of the road network around and in our area.

In Landmark’s showroom at 2 Delmar, up until February 2025, was exhibited the original 3 level model of 4 Delmar. It has been only very recently changed to a 6/7 level version.
Also the pictures of the project on the hordings around the site still carry the original 3 level complex.
I guess it is in Landmarks best interests to keep locals in the dark about the real expanse of the building.

People I know who have already bought in to 4 Delmar are shocked to hear of the size of the new building. They thought they were buying an apartment on level 3 top floor in a building of 50 or so apartments, but many months later are now being told that theirs is the middle of the building and if they still want to be on the top, a large additional payment will be necessary, and that will be level 6 or 7 or higher.
Also a shock that there will be 280 apartments total.

From studying the new plans, I can see that most of level 6 is to be re-arranged, making it run right up to the alignment of Delmar parade and also much closer to 2 Delmar at its side along the front half. This will make privacy a real concern, and will also block local views we currently enjoy. This change will have a large effect on our outlook and of course resale price, noise, light pollution and privacy in our homes.

I therefore object absolutely and in the strongest way to any increase in the number of apartments in the 4 Delmar Parade building and ask that due consideration is given to the current floors 6 and 7 being removed by revising the previous ruling, and giving us final closure on this.

Regards
Ray Purnell

Already facing overpopulation and strained resources in the area. The additional numbers of people will also devalue my property and those around.

To Whom It May Concern:

We, the residents of 2 Delmar Parade, Dee Why, wish to formally object to the proposed mixed-use housing development planned for the neighbouring property at 4 Delmar Parade, Dee Why. While we recognise the need for affordable housing, we strongly believe that this project is ill-suited to this particular location and will have a detrimental impact on the quality of life of current residents.

A major concern is the development’s scale and design, which would significantly alter the character of our residential area. The increased housing density would exacerbate existing issues with infrastructure, parking shortages, and overstretched public services, placing additional strain on an already burdened community.

Equally troubling is the project’s immediate proximity to our building, raising serious privacy concerns. The added height and layout of the complex would lead to direct overlooking into private residents, compromising both comfort and security. Furthermore, the expected increase in vehicle movement and pedestrian traffic could lead to heightened noise pollution, safety risks, and potential declines in property values.

We urge you to reconsider the placement of this high-density development and explore alternative locations that would better accommodate such a project without negatively affecting current residents.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to engaging in further discussions to find out a solution that balances community interests with future housing needs.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing on behalf of myself and fellow residents of 2 Delmar Parade, Dee Why, to formally express our concerns regarding the proposed mixed use housing development planned for the adjacent property at 4 Delmar Parade. While we understand the importance of affordable housing, we believe this particular project is not appropriate for this location and will significantly impact the quality of life of current residents.
One of our primary concerns is the scale and nature of the proposed development. Although the original plans were acceptable, this new project will disrupt the character of our existing residential area. The increased density will put additional strain on local infrastructure, parking availability, and public services, which are already at capacity.
Furthermore, the close proximity of this development to our building raises privacy concerns. The additional height and design of the proposed complex could result in direct overlooking into private residences, significantly impacting the comfort and security of those who currently live here. The increase in foot traffic and vehicle movement may also contribute to safety concerns, noise pollution, and reduced property values for existing homeowners.
We urge you to reconsider this development’s placement and explore alternative locations that would be better suited for high-density housing, without negatively affecting current residents.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our objections. We hope to engage in further discussions to find a solution that benefits both the community and future residents.