Pathways Cremorne Seniors Housing

Having read and responded to the original Pathways Proposal and now having read the amended document which responds to the many issues raised, I see no changes in the reality of the proposed construction, rather some re-framing and omissions.

The amended proposal lacks site-specific merit and in a number of areas does not comply with the NSW Govt’s Senior Housing Design guidelines.
Excessive bulk and height has not been addressed, and does not adhere to the North Sydney Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2013 which states that the maximum height in an R4 zone, which this site is, is 12 metres.

All four Pathways proposed buildings are a massive overdevelopment, not in keeping with the character and infrastructure of the area, and they exceed the LEP control for height.

The proposal states that the height of Building 4 is ’compatible in bulk and scale with adjoining buildings’. For the reasons outlined below, “compatibiity” is severely compromised:
The ‘adjoining buildings’ on Gerard St, which are 7-15 storeys, were constructed during 1960-70s and the LEP planning control in force at that time was repealed in 1989.
The “scaling up” of the structures along Parraween St from single level at the north east end to 4 storeys at the west end does not address issues of overshadowing. 1 Paling St ( an early 1980’s construction), with 3 above ground levels, will be negatively shadowed by the proposed 4 storey building adjacent to it.
In addition, the proposed 2.6m separation from 1 Paling street is so close that it will compromise the privacy of those residents as their balconies all face directly onto the site.

The amended proposal for the six cottages compromises their listed heritage significance and character. The demolition of the structures at the back of these cottages and all inside fabric of the remaining front structures contravenes the Senior Housing Design Guide, as well as the significance and curtilage of the heritage listed Orpheum Theatre.

The loss of the present green space afforded by existing trees in the gardens of the cottages also compromises environmental design guidelines. This area is habitat to many birds and small native wildlife, the number of which has increased significantly since the devastating and ill-considered destruction of hundreds of trees in nearby Cammeray/North Sydney during 2022. The proposed “park” will not address this, as the proposed replanting of trees in Cammeray/North Sydney did not. Trees take years to establish and grow.

Parking, traffic, pedestrian safety:
Parking and traffic is already challenging along Parraween Street. The proposed parallel parking solution will create further congestion and greater potential for accidents - incidents which already occur.

NSW Legislation Pt 5, Div 4 Site-related requirements state that Development consent must not be granted for independent living units unless … residents will have adequate access to facilities and services. The fact that Pathways residents will have to cross Military Road, one of the busiest in NSW, to reach bus services, shopping, pharmacy, supermarket and other facilities will create significant safety issues. Crossing this road at the designated points is challenging enough for young, nimble pedestrians,

For the reasons above I strongly re-state that this multi complex facility is not in the public interest. Rather, there will be a significant and detrimental impact, socially and environmentally, on all who live, work and visit the area, in both the short and the long term.

We feel the proposed height is excessive causing overshadowing of existing dwellings.
Traffic is already badly congested & parking almost impossible.
Demolition of existing heritage buildings will destroy the ambience & the village feel.
Existing population is diverse but a large number of elderly are pedestrians & it is problematic to cross roads as it is.
Why is this being considered when it has been rejected & there has been little consideration to objections raised.

The amended submission still is excessive in height, bulk , area and scale. Reduction ot eight to seven storeys in Gerard St is still in excess of the planning controls iof North Sydney LEP. It is unsuitable for this location.
Problems of increased traffic and parking remain a potential problem particularly as emergency vehicles couod be delayed by traffic.
Winnie St is often at a standstill as traffic waits to cross Military Rd and this would further inhibit access to Parraween Rd

This will change the height restriction, the proposed building is higher than the existing building on that site already. The project will change the character of the suburb it will add to traffic congestion on and around Military Rd and surrounding streets and it will change the character of the whole neighbourhood and set precedent for higher building development in that area for future.

This submission is made on behalf of the Harrison-Bennett Precinct, Cremorne. The Pathways’ Amended Cremorne State Significant Development (SSD) project was discussed at the Harrison monthly meeting held on 5 September 2024. The Precinct had previously made a submission in response to the original proposal on 14 September 2023.

PERSONAL
I continue to object to the approval of this development on a number of grounds -
I have lived adjacent to the perimeter of this development site for 36 years. The prospect of living for several years so close to this development would impact heavily on my ability to continue living here.
GEBNERAL
The benefits being listed as advantages to the local community are of little value compared to the destruction of existing homes, the increase in traffic in a street only suitable for limited local traffic and the loss of the present green space afforded by existing trees in the gardens of the cottages - which are habitat to many birds and small native wildlife, the number of which has increased significantly since the devastating and ill-considered destruction of hundreds of trees in nearby Cammeray /North Sydney .
Additionally, the latest attempt to have this development approved has not addressed the size, height and area of the original proposal. I strongly object to Approval of this Application now or in the future.

There is only miniscule change to the previous subbmission.
It does not deal with the excessive height of the main building, it does not address pedestrian protection for the aged (specically crossing Gerard Street, it does not deal with the impact on traffic to & from the city, impact on street parking, there is no time limit on time for demolition & contstruction, is not consistent with local charcture & vision for Cremorne.

• It lacks site-specific merit
– excessive height, bulk and scale which has follow-on negative impact
on traffic, parking, overshadowing etc
• It lacks strategic merit
– seriously undermines heritage significance of the six locally listed cottages and the State heritage listing of the Orpheum Theatre
– major pedestrian hazard for Pathways residents who need to cross Military Rd

I object to the amended proposal for the following reasons:
1. HEIGHT
Parraween Street is quite sunny on the south side and there are several eateries which enjoy sunshine, particularly in winter. Casting a shadow over the street by an oversized building is not conducive to comfortable living.
2. SIZE AND SCALE
This building is still over the height limits for NSC and again a developer seeks to ignore the LGA requirements, which are made to support the comfortable living of its ratepayers. This building is way too high and will impose on the current street scene.
3. TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC
Parraween St is very narrow, and traffic at any time of day is heavy. Both ends of the street are dangerous intersections. Winnie St is always banked up, as the lights pattern means that cars have to wait at least 2-3 sets of lights to get through Military Rd. It is dangerous for cars turning right out of Parraween St and for pedestrians. The other end at McPherson St is similar, a car dealership has cars often double parked and the VERY dangerous pedestrian crossing at Gerard St is affected. Drivers become very frustrated and angry, which causes aggression and often very dangerous driving. The area just cannot absorb any more traffic. This is exacerbated at SGEGGS drop off and pick up times, the traffic is totally congested at these times.
4. LOSS OF HERITAGE.
Cremorne has precious little freestanding cottages and they must be preserved at all costs to maintain a balance in the increasing density with median rise apartments everywhere and the current Government wanting even more, despite the area's roads, schools and utilities at capacity. We must keep this tiny pocket of space open and free.
5. REALLY!
This street is not the street for an aged care home. It is too congested, there is not enough parking now, let alone visitors to an aged care centre. It would not be safe for residents to walk anywhere and there is a lack of open space nearby.
I urge you to reject this current proposal on the above grounds. The livability of Cremorne and the wider LGA is deteriorating rapidly, we need to stop these developers.

Pathways Objection
I object to the revised development application for Pathways at Parraween St Cremorne.
The revision remains substantially unchanged from the original.
The built form and scale of the development are out of character with the planning and character of surrounding neighborhood.
The bulk scale and height of building 4 are offensive and invasive and way in excess of development guidelines which have been adhered to by other developments over the last 10 to 15 years which have been consistent with local government planning guidelines.
Building four exceeds guidelines by 16m and encroaches to existing boundary to the South further compromising outlook and privacy for existing Parraween St residents.
In addition, the dominance of 3 and 4 bedroom residences in this building is inconsistent with Seniors or independent living and purely a property play as these will attract premium prices and have large scale. They will also achieve nothing in terms of affordable accommodation for younger buyers or the current housing crisis.
In summary I believe there should be no case for a 7 or 8 story building in this location. It is totally out of step with planning guidelines, community expectations and recent developments over the last couple of decades at least. It is invasive , excessive and will cause privacy issues, traffic and parking issues and be detrimental to the character of the area.

The responses below are in addition to my original submission on 7th September 2023.
I strongly oppose the proposal put to the state government on the following grounds
1. The size, bulk & height of the proposed development has been extended by the 1, 2 & 3 LU buildings being a full 4 stories high without any stepping from Parraween Street & only minimal step back from the street. They are 25% more than the zoning requires, this is likely to create a wind tunnel effect on Parraween Street.
2. There will only be retention of the frontages of the 6 heritage cottages. This is not in keeping with the intent & spirit of the Heritage orders.
3 Athena traffic impact statement concludes there will be minimal impact from the development, this could not be correct, especially during the construction phase! Parraween Street is used by all business to receive their deliveries, liquor stores, cafes, restaurants & furniture stores. There are no loading zones which means these large trucks have to park sometimes on the opposite side of the street but mainly in front of the businesses taking up to 5 car parks.The impact on these businesses must be taken into consideration!
As the street has 90 degree parking, most parks where the development is anticipated are for motor bikes, not cars.
4. Communication from the developer has been dismal!! Very little consultation, mainly to not with locals!

Am objecting to above development amendment for the following reasons.
The shortness of time 12 days only for viewing is unfair!
Lack of strategic Merit. the design (oversized and bulky)does not complement the Heritage character and significance of part of Parraween st totally non compatible therefore losing all the significance of our beloved Heritage.
The nightmare of TRAFFIC . This is a very serious problem NOW and will become MAJOR with such a development , and the construction phase will be a massive shamble, not helping elderly( and there are many)existing residents, fumes, dust, noise, loss of trees sunlight etc and entering and exiting Parraween will be impossible, and the PARKING situation is now a major problem and with Pathway development will become a lot worse and motorists driving around four or five times hoping for a soon existing spot, adding to more traffic. At present we have a flow on effect from Military road (which is also a shamble)as motorists try to find short cuts. Military road has also become a very dangerous road to cross, especially for the elderly,
noise, pollution, distraction of sight with high number of buses and non stop motorists, certainly not a pleasant walk to shop , for the elderly residents of the Pathway Development .
all existing and new residents will suffer from excessive OVERSHADOWING. Long hours of shadowing
in the colder months .This becomes a health issue for all ages but especially for the aged and less mobile,
let us not loose our sun, space and green and Heritage on Parraween street!

Noelia Crepaldi

The review period for this has been very short and the documents were not available when originally stated.. However, I have looked at the "amended" proposal and there is very little substantive change in the design in all aspects such as bulk, scale or height. My original comments from my previous submission still stand. The project exceeds LEP height and the destruction of everything but heritage facade is ignoring the heritage reports and context of the area. The scale is to maximise the number of units (profit) and will have a large adverse impact on traffic, safety and socio economic benefit to the immediate area. A much smaller scale project would be better and balance better with the existing apartment streetscape and the heritage area inclusive of the Orpheum Cinema. It is somewhat comical to attempt to describe these plans as amendments. My original submission attached below...

I strongly object to this project and have reviewed the design.
I will be brief on this portal as I am aware that other organisations like Cremorne Conservation Group and North Sydney Council are submitting a more detailed and technical critique of the project.
Firstly, this proposal is seeking to either remove or destroy 12 recognised heritage homes as part of its footprint. The proximity of this destruction so close to the Orpheum Cinema wipes away not only the potential for a more varied and vibrant streetscape but the opportunity for a small heritage precinct which is in keeping with the cinema.
The height, bulk and scale of the proposed buildings - particularly the eight storey building on Gerard St. - is far beyond the local planning controls and desired/zoned streetscape.
I am not adversed to seniors assisted living but the oversized scale and location of this facility certainly presents as a money grab in this instance rather than as legitimate care for seniors. For example, the property accumulation for this project was conducted in a very intimidatory and secretive manner for well over 4 years. During this time Pathways did not consult or engage in any way regarding what the existing community would like to see from such a facility. A lack of interaction like this does not speak well as to how a proposal like this wishes to interact or integrate with its community long term.
The huge increase in traffic would be an issue for staff and health or food support vehicles. Parraween is the only road which allows those of us living in North Cremorne to cross over (turn right) on Gerard St, during peak hours.
An in-depth and holistic traffic study is certainly required and would most likely result in a re-phasing of traffic lights on Winnie St, Gerard St and quite possibly Military Rd.
The overall size of this project would dwarf nearly half one side of Parraween Street . It is not a particularly quiet, relaxing or safe zone for seniors living with mobility issues. I am concerned that while this imports 99 units to the area these are, on the whole, not individuals who will be active in accessing or supporting local businesses.
While the addition of a "through park" would be a welcome bonus this does not lead anywhere or have any pedestrian links across Parraween or Gerard St and so is somewhat of a dead end and perhaps pedestrian hazard?
The design is large, high, bulky, misplaced and connects poorly to the existing community and represents limited socio economic benefit for Cremorne.
Lastly, It destroys known heritage rather than including these homes - which could quite easily be converted into seniors living spaces as part of a more informed design.

I strongly object to the Pathways Cremorne Seniors Housing amended Development Application. I find the amended application offensive, as there are no material changes from the original application to address the significant number of non-compliances, negative impacts on amenity of the community and lack of real community benefit and site-specific strategic merit.
In summary:
1. It does not comply with the planning limits and zoning for the site, nor with the regulations for height of The Senior's Housing Design Guide.
2. The height, bulk and scale, especially the 7-storey building, is a massive overdevelopment of the site.
3. The partial destruction of the protected historical cottages, which should be prohibited.
4. The small streets would be unable to cope with the increased traffic flow and would negatively impact pedestrian safety.
5. Parking would become untenable in a highly used community area, and the claim that parking would increase is simply wrong.
6. The destruction of so many mature trees is unacceptable.
7. The developers have shown insincere consultation and poor community engagement. This is unlikely to change during the development.
Overall, I submit that this Pathways proposal is not in the best interest of the community and lacks site specific and strategic merit. If a development must occur on this site, it needs to be more sympathetic to the surrounds, be a smaller bulk and scale, and not have such a massive negative impact on the removal of mature trees.
I have not made a political donation in the last two years.
I acknowledge and accept the DPE disclaimer and declaration.
Anne Louise Lytle
24/94A Spofforth Street
9 September 2024

The project addresses the needs of our aging population, which are severely lacking. The current cottage owners are happy to sell to the developer, but were denied because of a post-hoc heritage order. It the residences were not worthy of such an order prior to the development proposal, why should they now qualify? The existing dwellings bear little resemblance to their original state and have been sympathetically incorporated into the design by the developer. Other objections about traffic density, impact on local business and heritage impact are entirely subjective and without any quantifiable substantiation. I strongly support the project.

I object to the amended proposal for this project primarily on the grounds that amendments proposed have little or no material impact on the issues raised in my previous submission. Principal among these are the height, size, and bulk of the proposed development with the associated impact on the local area during construction and on an enduring basis. I remain uneasy that the proposed response to heritage issues raised will fall short of community expectations and detract from the character of the local area. Pedestrian safety also remains high on my list of concerns.

The reasons for my previous objection still apply. The new plans do not address these problems. I object to the project because one building is planned to be a height that is out of scale for the area and considerably exceeds the height allowed in the North Sydney LEP and because it will increase traffic flow in Parraween Street.
Building 4 is planned to be too tall in an area that allows for a 12 m height. The car spaces are planned on site and visitors coming to see residents would greatly increase traffic in a street that is already congested with parking for the Orpheum Theatre. Some heritage cottages in Parraween Street will be retained, but they will be much overshadowed by the larger buildings behind them, altering and perhaps destroying the heritage character of the centre of Cremorne. The increase in traffic may be dangerous for pedestrian safety in the street.

Whilst aged care facilities are required in the area:

- the development appears bulky and exceeds the local council height limits. Height limits are there for a reason and as a local resident I would expect all developments to comply with the rules. Just because a 10 story building was built in the 1970s is not a valid reason to now exceed current 2024 regulations.

- there appears to be no provision for low income seniors to live in this facility. Such developments should be accessible to all the community and not just the wealthy.

- the proposed development with re-submitted plans appears to be little different from the original proposal except for the retention of the heritage listed houses

- the heritage listed houses appear to quite downscaled in the new plans - will these plans meet the ongoing heritage listing requirements ?

Even though the amended SSDA claims to be making major changes it is merely a rehash of the original.
Reducing the height of ILU from 8 to 7 stories still exceeds the height limit and by ILU 2 & 3 building being 4 stories with only minimal setback from the street probably increases the size and bulk.
Keeping only the facades of the 6 heritage listed cottages is an abuse of their heritage as it is the whole of these properties that is listed.
The number of dwellings has not changed but the car spaces has been reduced by 46 from 134 to 88.
Even now there is a real scarcity of parking due to the proximity of the very large private school,the 2 popular plazas, the Orpheum Theatre and the big Mercedes car dealership & workshop plus approximately 300 to 400 existing residences & businesses.
Already in peak times crossing or accessing Military Rd via Winnie St creates a buildup of traffic entirely between Gerard & Military Rds making acct to Parraween St very slow & difficult.
I do not agree that the Applicants have made good
communication, consultation and engagement with the community- virtually nothing! They only consider their interests and have no regard for the community or environment by proposing to cut down numerous mature trees which enhance the streetscape & are home to many species of birds and wildlife.
Their claim of 18 months only to build is blatantly false- more like 3 to 4 years given the massive amount of demolition,excavation & construction with such limited access to Parraween St.
Thankyou,
Peter Young

I would like to strongly object to the construction of this project on the following grounds:
1. Cremorne and the surrounding areas is already becoming overcrowded and this project will only add to this problem. Apart from a distinct lack of green space in this suburb adding a facility of this size will only add to the unpleasant noise and traffic.
2. With regards to traffic, Military Road is one of the busiest arterial roads in Sydney with huge traffic flows 7 days per week. This project will attract significant additional traffic. Additionally, the proposed access via Parraween St will mean that this impossibly narrow street which is already crowded as it is already used by patrons to the theatre and restaurants at Cremorne Plaza let alone residents will become even harder to navigate. There have recently been several car accidents as cars use Parraween St as a rat run to avoid the very slow crossing at Winnie St and Military Road to get on to Military Road heading north from Ernest St.
3. The proposal will adversely impact the character of the area in so far as the bulk of the proposed buildings, their height and their proximity to the surrounding streets.
4. The heritage value of the houses facing Parraween St will be lost again adversely impacting the local character of the area.
5 Residents that will be living in this facility will need to cross Military Road to access shops such as supermarket, pharmacy and newsagent. As the facility is likely to house frail elderly residents there is significant risk to cross Military Road, particularly during peak hours as the pedestrian crossings provide impossibly short periods for agile pedestrians to cross... there would therefore be significant risk for elderly frail residents to cross this busy road particularly when also carrying their shopping.
6. There does not seem to be a strategic rationale to position a facility of this type and size in an overcrowded suburb such as Cremorne.