Residential development with In-fill affordable housing - East Walker Street, North Sydney

I fully support the development proposal without reservation.

It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE that we, the residents of 88 Berry Street, are now confronted with a greedy developer planning to construct a GIANT structure next to a 10-story building that has been here for 20 years. This proposal is utterly outrageous and will have significant, detrimental impacts on our property.

The impacts are as follows:

Overshadowing: Your report clearly shows the impact. You might downplay it, but it has a major effect. We were here first, and your proposal to build a monstrous tower is un-Australian and absolutely unacceptable. We cherish the sunshine we currently receive, which we paid for when we moved here. You have no “God-given” right to take that from our homes and families.

Traffic: AURA North Sydney has recently added 387 units and around 200+ car park spaces onto Walker Street and Berry Street area. The local roads are already at full, if not over, capacity. We already feel the impact of the new development. Your monster development will have another major impact on our lives.

Financial Value: I purchased in this building with the expectation of stable value. With this monstrosity at my back door, we will demand compensation. We will lose the value of our asset because of the slum-like building you propose. No one wants to live next door to a huge building looking down on us, invading our privacy and family life.

Ugly: The proposed building is hideous. It looks like a housing commission structure and will attract the worst tenants, destroying the beauty of our street. The size of these towers is an eyesore to anyone in the area. How can you possibly consider this building as a development that fits into the local plan?

Privacy Issues: With the height of your proposal, we will lose our privacy. There will be hundreds of residents looking down onto our once-private courtyards and balconies. This is unacceptable.

Mental Health: All of the above will have a significant impact on the residents due to the visual blight, loss of sunlight, financial losses, increased traffic, and heightened density. Residents will be overwhelmed, and our personal health and mental well-being will suffer as a result of your greed. We will seek full compensation.

We absolutely reject this proposal. Your greed to compromise our area is unacceptable, and we will do everything in our power to challenge you and your project. We will contact all social media and news channels to report how you intend to destroy our way of life. You would NOT have this in your own backyard.

The proposal has not demonstrated any consideration for the lifestyle and property investment of at least 10 sites in the vicinity of 173 - 178 Walker St North Sydney. There will be a cumulative loss in property values surrounding this proposed development.

It does not seem that any of the following have been considered:

+ overlooking rooftop recreation area…loss of privacy/vulnerable to unsavoury types observing too closely

+consider lessening the bulk of the overall mass/lessen the outright greed of this development

+allowing substantial (reasonable) view corridors to appease those residents who moved here precisely because of those views. It’s all very well to attempt to ameliorate the value and importance of views (monetarily/emotionally/visually) if one has not enjoyed such advantages of living in this vicinity. For many of us, it is why we bought into the area. Try putting yourself into the shoes of those who are heartbroken over this monstrous development. The overall footprint is absolutely over the top and far too bulky for such a small parcel of land.

+ The trees, especially the Jacarandas are so important to the streetscape-they are irreplaceable. Obviously not a problem for those developers/planners who do not enjoy their beauty because they don’t care to, or plan to live here. Regrettably, cement does NOT add the same value to the environment or our health as greenery does.

+The degradation of the North Sydney tree canopy fast disappearing-leaving many species of birds (in particular, Lorikeets) looking for ever decreasing, suitable nesting places

I am writing to object to the development application (DA) for a 30-storey mixed-use development at East Walker Street, North Sydney. My property will be directly and severely impacted by the proposed development. This submission will outline my concerns regarding the loss of vista along Walker Street, privacy concerns, traffic impacts, and the use of affordable housing as a pretext for excessive development.

Loss of Vista along Walker Street

The North Sydney Development Control Plan 2013 (NSDCP 2013) seeks to preserve the "strong vista along Walker Street to [the] southern part of [the] CBD." The applicant's View and Visual Impact Assessment (VVIA) acknowledges that the proposed development will result in a "noticeable" impact on this vista. However, the VVIA concludes that this impact is acceptable because the development will "strengthen the strong axial vista to the southern part of the North Sydney CBD." This conclusion is not supported by the evidence. The proposed development will introduce a large, bulky building that will significantly obstruct the vista along Walker Street. This will have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the area and will detract from the character of the street. It is my opinion that the proposed development will not strengthen the vista along Walker Street, but rather it will significantly diminish it. The applicant claims that the podium design of Building A aligns with the existing street wall heights on Walker Street, however, the tower element of Building B1 will still significantly obstruct the vista.

Privacy Concerns

The proposed development will also have a significant impact on the privacy of residents in the surrounding area. The applicant's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) acknowledges that the development will result in some overshadowing and overlooking of neighboring properties. However, the EIS concludes that these impacts are acceptable. This conclusion is not supported by the evidence. The proposed development will be significantly taller than the surrounding buildings, and it will be located in close proximity to a number of residential properties, including mine. This will result in a significant loss of privacy for residents in these properties. The proposed mitigation measures, such as screening and setbacks, are not sufficient to address these concerns. It is my opinion that the proposed development will have an unacceptable impact on the privacy of residents in the surrounding area. The applicant claims that the serrated design of Building B1 will mitigate overlooking, however, the balconies and windows of the building will still be able to overlook neighboring properties.

Traffic Impacts

The proposed development will also generate a significant amount of traffic. The applicant's Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) acknowledges that the development will result in an increase in traffic on Walker and Hampden Streets. However, the TIA concludes that this increase is acceptable because it will not result in any significant traffic congestion. This conclusion is not supported by the evidence. The proposed development is located in an area that is already experiencing traffic congestion, as was observed during the community consultation process. The additional traffic generated by the development will exacerbate this problem. The proposed mitigation measures, such as traffic signal optimization, are not sufficient to address these concerns. It is my opinion that the proposed development will have an unacceptable impact on traffic in the surrounding area. The applicant claims that the porte-cochere will help to mitigate traffic congestion, however, it is likely that this will simply shift the congestion to other parts of Walker Street.

Affordable Housing as a Pretext

While the inclusion of affordable housing is commendable, it appears to be used as a pretext to justify the excessive scale and density of this development. The affordable housing component comprises only ~17% of the total gross floor area (GFA) of the development, with the remaining ~83% being market-rate units. This raises concerns that the developer is prioritizing profit over the provision of affordable housing. It is my opinion that the proposed development is not truly committed to providing affordable housing, but is rather using it as a way to justify an otherwise unacceptable development.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I object to the proposed development at East Walker Street, North Sydney. The development will have a significant and unacceptable impact on the loss of vista along Walker Street, privacy of residents in the surrounding area, and traffic. Additionally, the use of affordable housing as a pretext for excessive development is concerning. I urge the Council to refuse this development application.

Reference No. (SSD-67175465)
I object to the building going ahead , for the following reasons.
1.
12 story building being constructed on the he boundary of 171 Walker St and 173 Walker St North Sydney. this proposed construction will restrict sun and increase over shadowing on to our existing swimming pool.
2.
The dead end of East Walker St and Hampden St presently servers 8 Houses , 18 Units & 40 Flats The proposed development of some 250 plus apartments. Approx (200 more apartments ) will make any future traffic flow chaotic and further grid locked at peak hours both am and pm.
I personally believe that the construction is far to big for the site it will occupy .

I strongly object to this proposal on the grounds of an unreasonable increase in traffic congestion and the associated risk of vehicle and pedestrian accident.There is major traffic congestion in this area and McLaren and Walker Streets are often in gridlock and worse at school times and peak commuting times.
The adjacent road network is already under extreme pressure with constant traffic congestion and constant queuing at the major Walker/Berry intersection which is only 50 metres away. The traffic report previously presented by a Cbus appointed consultant does not come close to adequately analysing the impact of the extra vehicles generated nor does it acknowledge that Berry and Miller Streets are the only exit routes for the precinct. The Department may wish to consider the following facts:
- the site is on a one -way lane leading to a dead-end
- access to the site is extremely difficult northbound, and there is no access southbound. Residents need to make a u-turn in traffic southbound to enter the lane, or attempt to cross queued intersection traffic northbound
- there is no scope for a turning circle at the dead-end due to a heritage protected median garden strip
- the Walker Street/Berry Streets intersection is effectively Highway 1 with constant high traffic pressure
- construction vehicle access would be impossible
- at peak hours and school times there is existing gridlock
- two major schools are within 100m
- ingress and egress from the precinct is already difficult
- garbage trucks currently have to reverse down the one way lane
In addition, future traffic pressure has not been taken into account from the following developments:
- the new Aqualand development at 168 Walker with 386 apartments is ignored
- 14 storey residential at 45 McLaren Street
- the new Redam School in McLaren Street commencing in January 2025
- 57 storey building at 110 Walker Street
- 42 storey building over Victoria Cross Station
- 48 storey building at 100 Walker Street
- 26 storey building at 71 Walker Street
- a planning proposal for a 44 storey building at 157 Walker Street
- the Western Harbour Tunnel impacts and on-ramp and their effects on the intersection
Cbus Property is making its fourth attempt in five years at a major residential development in East Walker Street (corner of Hampden Street), this time under the guise of affordable housing. The proposal involves a 30 storey highrise tower plus a 12 storey “affordable” housing building. The proposed concept has in the past been dismissed in a detailed private report to North Sydney Council by a Planning Consultant, by the North Sydney Planning Panel (NSLPP) which listed more than a dozen reasons for refusal, and in turn by North Sydney Council itself. There was also a failed attempt by the applicant to further the case in the Land and Environment Court, later withdrawn by them. The reasons presented in all the cases noted above have not changed. Nor have they been mitigated in the latest Cbus proposal.
The proposal is completely out of character with the neighbourhood and imposes itself on more than 1000 residential dwellings in Walker, Hampden, McLaren, Miller and Berry Streets with loss of solar access, loss of residential amenity, major view loss and other issues, and is not in the public interest. It involves a major and significant increase over surrounding building heights with no attempt at height transition whatsoever. There is unanimous very strong local consensus that the proposal is unacceptable and inappropriate. This was evident in the above normal objecting submissions against previous attempts of Cbus to rail-road their proposal through various approving authorities.

To whom it may concern,

I'm writing in the capacity of an owner occupier of a unit in 88 Berry Street. The proposed project will significantly impact the entire building negatively and especially my own unit (west side facing the proposed development).

In regards to traffic conditions I would point out that AURA North Sydney has recently added 387 units and around 200+ carpark spaces onto Walker Street and Berry Street area. The local roads are at full, if not over, capacity. Therefore additional carpark spaces close to the Berry Street and Walker Street junction should be restricted. North Sydney Council has previously flagged Miller Street as the "Spine of North Sydney" as Miller Street (from Berry Street to Ridge Street) is subject to clearway and hence making lanes available for peak hour traffic. On the other hand, Walker Street has on street parking on both sides which serves as resident parking as well (Area 22).

In addition to the above, parking is extremely limited in the area. My unit does not have a parking space and while I do not drive, as someone with a disability (very poor vision classified as Legally Blind) when receiving visits from parents, tradies or others, access to the limited parking along Walker street (as Berry street often has clearway) is often difficult to obtain, even on weekends and already causes problems. Additionally the extensive work and traffic that would be involved in the actual construction process is likely to cause issues and obstructions with my own navigation about the area and the very busy streets with my low vision.

Furthermore we are currently suffering from the noise and vibration from the Western Harbour Tunnel ("WHT") and Warringah Freeway Upgrade ("WFU"). Most of us are bearing this level of nuisance as these are public works. However this Proposed Development is not public work and the scale is not small. Given the proximity of the Proposed Development, Our Building will feel every pound and hear every drill that will go on at this site especially in my own unit which will be directly facing the development.

The proposed building will be providing shadow over all of our building and according to Section 5.0 of the Scoping Report the building will be under shadow from 12pm onwards. As I already don't receive any direct sunlight until afternoon (1-3pm usually as many of the already existing high rises cast shadows) this would mean I would receive absolutely no sunlight at any point during the day in my unit (West facing).

Finally the newest design of the Proposed Development is to have a 10 floors building on East Walker Street (Building 3). This will comprise 76 affordable housing units. The previous design provided terrace houses and shops in this location. In the corner of East Walker Street and Hampton Street, there will be a building of 28 floors (Building 1) with around 200 units. This is the building that will cast a long shadow into the surroundings. The last building at the end of Hampton Street (Building 2) will be adjacent to Building 1. This will house all the service and maintenance amenities of the Proposed Development and might most likely be the driveway in and out. The above design, especially the affordable housing in Building 3, presents an inferior design when compared to the previous one. This will have a significant impact on the value of the units located on the West side of the building. And furthermore will remove one of the very small locations in North Sydney that actually posses greenery and open areas with trees. North Sydney already feels overbuilt with inadequate trees and greenery as is and removing one of the only sections of housing surrounding by such is a travesty.

Your sincerely,

Owner / occupier 88 Berry street

I strongly object to this project especially due to the negative effects of an already densely populated area, including residential quality, significant view obstructions, loss of sunlight, noise and thermal pollution. Furthermore, the landscaping is very out of place with its abnormal height compared to the adjacent housings and awkward height transition to the water. The project proposal is unacceptable, taking away the unobstructed light, water and landscape views which residents value tremendously and thieving from property owners by devaluing the apartment, which the owners paid a steep premium for, without any form of compensation which accounts for the decrease in potential property price in the future. Below are details of the reasons why I strongly object to this project including traffic, overcrowded CBD, safety (especially children going to schools nearby), obstruction of views and light,

Traffic
North Sydney CBD is already densely populated and is causing discomfort for residents especially with the traffic and overcrowded pedestrian path and shops. Especially as Walker St is very close to the highways and also only have one narrow lane per direction, the traffic becomes unmanageable, especially for larger vehicles. This is also very concerning for the safety of students going to schools that are located near the proposed project site, note that there is another school opening in 2025 near the site. There are also other buildings that are currently being built which will already multiply the aforementioned concerns arising from over-population. Furthermore, the project report vaguely touches on traffic, saying that traffic will be minimally affected with no evidence and data backing this groundless and unreasoned hypothesis.

Water view and Light obstruction
Many apartments in Belvedere currently have complete, unobstructed light, water and landscape views. Especially as the Belvedere apartments are east facing towards the tranquil water and landscape, residents will not only be obstructed from these views but will have even less light entering into the apartments (as it is east-facing). Although the report states that the corridor view is improved with the new proposal, it does not contain accurate analysis and evidence of the extent in which water views and light will be obstructed for Belvedere residents, hence the report is deemed unreliable for the residents where their livelihood and quality of life is very much dependent on these unique qualities of these apartments. Complete openness is very important for residents of Belvedere apartments and was part of the price that the owners paid for when their properties were purchased. Thus, this project will lead to the devaluation of all the Belvedere properties, not necessarily because of increased supply, but because of the loss of ambient qualities, such as the calm views and full unobstructed light, that have been essential to the quality of life of residents and competitive edge for owners.

Please refer to the attachment

To whom it may concern,
 
I strongly object to the proposed residential development with affordable housing, East Walker Street, North Sydney. Application No.SSD-67175465.
Local conditions are not suited to this development proposal.
My major concerns as per following:
1. Major Traffic issues. Previous report has not considered new into account new and further projects
- the new Aqualand development at 168 Walker with 386 apartments is ignored
- 45 McLaren Streetfuture development will add over 100 new apartments
- the Western Harbour Tunnel impacts and on-ramp and their effects on the intersection
- The new Reddam School in McLaren Street commencing in January 2025
- 57 storey building at 110 Walker Street
-New Charles Sturt University Campus at 77 Berry Street
The large increase of apartments and students will add to the current gridlock during peak times.
First responders already have difficulty responding to smoke alarms during peak traffic times

The East Walker proposal will impede a functioning tunnel entrance for the Western Harbour Tunnel off Walker Street and Berry Street.

View loss and Overshadowing
Currently there is a major view corridor and this massive development has not considered view loss from up to 1000 apartments in at least 8 residential buildings in Walker and Miller Street,impacting 88 Berry Street, Belvedere, The Heritage, McLaren Apartments, The Harvard, North, Vantage, and The Miller.

Affordable Housing ?
It is also questionable that this site is suitable for affordable housing. If the dwellings are to be truly affordable, they need to be built in other parts of the North Sydney LGA. Not in a prime location with soaring property values.
The East Walker site is not a Tier One or Two on Minns Government accelerated precinct .North Sydney has done the heavy lifting and other areas in LGA would be more suitable,

Heritage Buildings
The inappropriate scale and bulk of the current East Walker proposal. The previous CBUS and Galileo proposal was for a 3-storey building on Walker Street. This is now a massive, bulky 12-storey proposal. It detracts from the Heritage value of the adjacent Victorian era and Federation era buildings. The developers are using so-called “affordable housing” plans to destroy the amenity of a beautiful Precinct.

I ask the NSW Government, Department of planning to not approve this DA in its current form. The residents want to maintain our quality of life and not be adversely impacted by a poor planning decision .The North Sydney area near the soon to be opened Victoria Cross Metro Station is at saturation point now!
 

To whom it may concern,
I strongly object to the proposed residential development with affordable housing, East Walker Street, North Sydney. Application No.SSD-67175465.
Local conditions are not suited to this development proposal.
There is already limited public open space.
The loss of character and the amenity impacts would be detrimental to the area.
Inadequate traffic analysis from CBUS and Galileo in an area that already has peak hour and rainy-day traffic gridlock.

I live in this very compact, already densely populated residential area, across the road from the proposed East Walker development. This small area has already done the heavy lifting to increase the number of dwellings required to reduce the housing shortage in NSW.

The North Sydney CBD and the adjacent residential areas are already densely populated. The North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker has said that North Sydney was already one of the densest councils in the state, and it had been “meeting and exceeding the housing density targets set by the state.” Baker said if the government would push housing higher in certain areas, they needed to explain “what they are going to be doing to support greater sewage capacity, open space, new schools and more hospitals.” As well as the potential lack of sewage capacity there are also issues with the higher demand on electricity, gas, water, broadband and 5G.

There is no capacity for the huge increase in dwellings for this East Walker site without adversely affecting the flow of traffic. We have traffic problems now at peak road demand times in the morning and evening. This current situation will only get worse when the list of approved developments near the East Walker site are completed.

The previous development proposal by CBUs and Galileo for this site located the entry and exit for the building in Hampden Street. The location of the entry and exit point is now opposite the entry and exit driveway for the building I live in. In the same small area, there is the entry and exit point for the Wilson Parking Station and the 21 Storey Century Plaza Building. There are also 2 clearways here. The new entry and exit point proposed for the East Walker garage (294 car spaces) is not functional and will cause further gridlock and loss of amenity and frustration for existing residents.

The adverse impact on traffic flow remains a major concern, made worse by the enlargement of the East Walker Project to 239 apartments.

The Berry St intersection (critical to the functioning of the new Western Harbour Tunnel) is the only point of ingress and egress to the East Walker site. The traffic light phases favour the Berry Street traffic flow. During peak hours, a small number of cars that can enter Berry Street between red lights.

The traffic submission by CBUs and Galileo for the previous DA made last time was theoretical nonsense and proven to be so by the empirical calculations that local residents have submitted previously.

The traffic lights will not be able to handle the increased traffic, exacerbated by the opening of 168 Walker Street (Aura) 395 apartments (due to be occupied from Mid July 2024), the approved development at 45 McLaren 71 apartments, the new Reddam School at 41 McLaren Street (1500 students), the new Charles Sturt University Campus (with accommodation) at 77 Berry Street, and the doubling of students at Marist College (Miller Street) to 2,000 students by 2030.

The approved developments discussed above will increase apartment numbers (and car spaces) and create a large spike in student numbers that will only make our gridlock problem worse.

The East Walker Street, North Sydney Scoping Report is a massive development on an unsuitable site. The traffic flow during peak periods is already at gridlock.

We have already seen first responders having difficulty responding to smoke alarms during the peak traffic periods for Century Plaza (Corner of Berry Street and Walker Street). Do we have to have fatalities before the decision makers take this issue seriously? I hope not! The East Walker proposal will impede a functioning tunnel entrance for the Western Harbour Tunnel off Walker Street and Berry Street.

The proposed NSW Government Housing Policy should not be a one size fits all policy. This would not be practical or sensible and will impact the amenity and mental health of residents. Some sites are suitable for the affordable housing increase in dwelling density that is proposed. This point needs to be stressed. Not all sites are suitable, especially the East Walker proposal by CBUS and Galileo.

The East Walker site is not in the Tier One or Tier Two sites, – Accelerated Precincts. The Minns Labor Government has identified eight Sydney transport hubs for accelerated rezoning for the delivery of up to 47,800 new, well located, high and mid-rise homes over the next 15 years. These locations have been identified as being capable of accommodating new homes within existing enabling infrastructure.
North Sydney is not one of the transport Hubs identified. As mentioned previously, North Sydney has already done the density heavy lifting. The development of East Walker with the current proposal is over development. The Minns Government has selected Crows Nest. Crows Nest has more suitable, appropriate sites for CBUS and Galileo to consider, the current East Walker site is inappropriate for the many reasons discussed.
It is also questionable that this site is suitable for affordable housing. If the dwellings are to be truly affordable, they need to be built in other parts of the North Sydney LGA. Not in a prime location with soaring property values.
A last point to consider is the inappropriate scale and bulk of the current East Walker proposal. The previous CBUS and Galileo proposal was for a 3-storey building on Walker Street. This is now a massive, bulky 12-storey proposal. It detracts from the Heritage value of the adjacent Victorian era and Federation era buildings. The developers are using so-called “affordable housing” plans to destroy the amenity of a beautiful Precinct.

As you are already aware. “The NSW Government is developing a pattern book of endorsed building designs that can be used to guide the creation of new housing. The collection of designs will be for low-rise housing and mid-rise apartment buildings of up to 6 storeys. The pattern book will be a useful resource for developers, architects, planners, council, and the community. The book will give designs and guidelines for more high-quality, sustainable housing that suits the local area.” It would be appropriate for CBUS and Galileo to consider the pattern book in initiative, significantly reduce the bulk and scale of this proposal and actually collaborate with the local Community and North Sydney Council to build something appropriate for the East Walker site.

I ask the NSW Government, Department of planning to not approve this DA in its current form. The residents of our community seek to maintain our quality of life and not be adversely impacted by a poor planning decision that will lead to a drastic loss of amenity and a steep rise in mental health issues. The North Sydney area near the soon to be opened Victoria Cross Metro Station is at saturation point now!

Regards,

John Prentice

Please do not publish my name.
To whom it may concern,

The Stanton Precinct objects to the East Walker Residential Development Proposal SSD-67175465.

I am the Chair of the Stanton Precinct (North Sydney Council). The Precinct is bounded by Berry Street, Ridge Street, Warringah Freeway, and the Pacific Highway. We are a very compact area that has already done a lot of the heavy lifting to increase the number of dwellings required to reduce the housing shortage.

I have collected comments from Stanton residents below.

The North Sydney CBD and nearby residential area is already densely populated so there is no capacity for increase.

Local conditions are not suited to the East Walker Street DA proposal.

This is exacerbated by 7 major schools within the area with a new school Reddam, 45 McLaren Street (1500 new students) to open in 2025.

There is already a shortage of public open space.

Character and amenity impacts would be detrimental.

Inadequate traffic analysis in an area already in regular traffic congestion.

Traffic issue remains a major concern, made worse by the enlargement of the East Walker Project to 239 new apartments.

The Berry St intersection – critical to the function of the new harbour tunnel – is the only point of ingress and egress to the project and the maths of at times gridlock traffic flow remains the same.

The traffic submission made last time was theoretical nonsense and proven so by our empirical calculations that we submitted previously.


The East Walker Street, North Sydney Scoping Report is a massive development on an unsuitable site. The traffic flow during peak periods is already at gridlock. The approved developments discussed above will increase apartment numbers (and car spaces) and create a large spike in student numbers that will only exacerbate our gridlock problem.

We have already seen first responders having difficulty responding to smoke alarms during the peak traffic periods for Century Plaza (Corner of Berry Street and Walker Street.

This big apartment project will also impede a functioning tunnel entrance for the Western Harbour Tunnel off Walker Street and Berry Street.

The proposed NSW Government Housing Policy should not be a one size fits all policy. This would not be practical or sensible and will impact the amenity and mental health of residents.

This point needs to be stressed. Not all sites are suitable, especially the East Walker proposal by CBUS. The idea that affordable housing can be built on this site is tenuous. This is a prime site, and dwellings will cost much more here than other cheaper sites in the LGA, like Cammeray and Crows Nest for example. The developer is using the so-called “affordable housing” as a Trojan Horse to gain acceptance for an inappropriate development on this site. It is much worse than the previous 3 inappropriate developments for this site that were all rejected by the majority of residents and unanimously rejected North Sydney Councillors at North Sydney Council Meetings.

The Stanton Precinct asks the NSW Government, Department of Housing, and Infrastructure to reject SSD -67175465, 173-179 Walker Street and 11-17 Hampden Street, North Sydney CBUS, and Galileo Group. The residents of our community want to maintain our quality of life and not be adversely impacted by a poor DA decision that will take away our amenity and result in a steep increase in mental health issues. We have worked hard for the privilege of living here. Please do not destroy what we have for the benefit are developers who focus on their profit at the expense of the residents who live near the East Walker Development Application.


Regards,


John Prentice
Chairman, Stanton Precinct, North Sydney Council.

I wish to strongly object to this proposal which has been refused several times before by North Sydney council.
The most significant reason why it should be refused again is the pressure it will cause on local traffic and the danger it will significantly increase on users of walker street north of berry street. The road network is already under extreme pressure with significant traffic congestion and queuing particularly at peak periods and school egress hours at the Walker/Berry intersection. The traffic report does not come close to adequately analysing the impact of the extra vehicles generated nor does it acknowledge that Berry and Miller Streets are the only exit routes for the precinct. In addition, in the immediate future traffic pressure will be further increased by:
- the new Aqualand development at 168 Walker with 386 apartments and 500 car spaces already completed
- 45 McLaren Street future development will add over 100 new apartments
- the Western Harbour Tunnel impacts and on-ramp and their effects on the intersection particularly Berry street
- The new Reddam School in McLaren Street commencing in January 2025
 
In the event that this development goes ahead it will result in significant danger to residents and users of walker street.
- the site is on a one -way lane leading to a dead-end
- access to the site is extremely difficult northbound, and there is no access southbound. Residents need to make a u-turn in traffic southbound to enter the lane, or attempt to cross queued intersection traffic northbound
- there is no scope for a turning circle at the dead-end due to a heritage protected median garden strip
- the Walker Street/Berry Streets intersection is effectively Highway 1 with constant high traffic pressure
- construction vehicle access would be impossible
- at peak hours and school times there is existing gridlock
- ingress and egress from the precinct is already difficult
- garbage trucks currently have to reverse down the one way lane

In addition to the danger imposed by the excessive extra traffic First Responder Access will be extremely difficult in any kind of emergency and this is clearly a major health and safety hazard which places a heavy burden on those involved in any approval. The "simple" issue of a fire false alarm will impose significant hazard and obstruction in the area.

The proposal also inflicts excessive overshadowing to surrounding dwellings, particularly the 9 storey apartment building at 88 Berry Street, and 171 walker street. It blocks eastern and northern sun to other dwellings in Walker Street.

The proposed building is a gross building to be inflicted on the area with inadequate separations and gross overshadowing, all under the guise of providing affordable housing. I wish to strongly object to this proposal.

timothy john nash july 26 2024

 

This is the fourth iteration of this development over the past five years, this time under the guise of affordable housing proposing a 30-storey high-rise tower in the centre of a valley of low-rise housing. The proposal is completely out of character with the neighbourhood and impacts more than 1000 dwellings in Walker, Hampden, McLaren, Miller and Berry Streets with loss of solar access, loss of residential amenity, major view loss, major traffic issues, and is definitely not in the public interest. It involves a significant increase in building height over surrounding buildings with no attempt at height transition in line with previous council planning.

Traffic Impacts
The adjacent road network is already under significant pressure with consistent traffic congestion and queuing at the major Walker/Berry intersection which is only 50 metres away. The traffic report does not adequately analyse the impact of the extra vehicles generated nor does it acknowledge that Berry and Miller Streets are the only exit routes for this precinct. For example:
* the site is on a one -way lane leading to a dead-end
* access to the site is extremely difficult northbound, and there is no access southbound; residents need to make a u-turn in traffic southbound to enter the lane, or attempt to cross queued intersection traffic northbound
* the Walker Street/Berry Streets intersection is effectively Highway 1 with high traffic pressure particularly at peak times
* at peak hours and school times there is existing gridlock - two major schools are within 100m
Future traffic pressures have not been addressed or taken into account, with:
* the new Aqualand development at 168 Walker with 386 apartments - soon to be occupied
* 45 McLaren Street future development will add over 100 new apartments
* Western Harbour Tunnel impacts and on-ramp and their effects on the intersection
* new Reddam School in McLaren Street commencing in January 2025
* 57 storey building at 110 Walker Street

View and Solar Impacts
There is a major view corridor to the west of the site resulting in major (to total) view loss to hundreds of apartments including Belvedere, The Heritage, McLaren Apartments, The Harvard, North, Vantage, and The Miller. The proposal fails all four steps of the Tenacity principles (Tenacity Consulting v Warringah Council [2004] NSWLEC 140) which can be distilled as “Not properly assess moderate to severe standing view loss from front living areas by a non-complying development”. In particular, step four emphasises that where view loss arises as a result of non-compliance even a moderate impact may be considered unreasonable.
This proposal inflicts excessive overshadowing to surrounding dwellings and blocks eastern and northern sun to other dwellings in Walker Street.

First Responder Access
This is a critical impact with extremely difficult first responder access or egress in any kind of emergency and is a major health and safety issue.

Heritage
The proposal is across the road from a row of Victorian Terraces to the north and destroys their neighbourhood. Important heritage buildings to the west, and a heritage protected sandstone wall will be in danger of destruction both from construction vehicles etc and the building of a tower totally out of character with the heritage area.

In-fill Affordable Housing SEPP
This proposal attempts to use the in-fill affordable housing changes to increase its luxury building to 30 storeys and to increase the previous 8 storey approval to 12 storeys. The SEPP, however, only allows for bonuses in building height applicable to the building with the affordable housing. This proposal attempts to transfer this bonus to the luxury apartments which is both disingenuous and cynical.

Previous Planning
The previous SNPP approval was very specific and required the following:
* a slender built form – this proposal is not slender
* 12m building separations – this proposal does not provide 12m separation
* reduction in length along Walker Street – this length has actually increased from the previous application
* avoidance of overshadowing to the south – overshadowing is increased in this new proposal
* an 8 storey maximum for the secondary building – this has now increased to 12 storeys
These are critical points to consider in assessing this new proposal since they transgress the SNPP approval and the Department of Planning’s own report.

Community
There is unanimous and very strong local consensus that this proposal is both unacceptable and inappropriate. The proposal cannot be justified on planning principles, policy or process; is flawed on a vast array of separate grounds and runs contrary to the public interest.

I ask that you take the objections from the local community seriously.

I object to this proposal with reasons as follows:
1. The project will cause significant traffic issues. The adjacent road has already had traffic pressure, and the report does not adequately address the impact that this project and the extra vehicles it draws to the traffic pressure.
2. The project is out of character. The project aims to build a towering 30-storey housing amongst low rise houses.
3. The project causes a loss of solar access to surrounding dwellings,
4. The project causes significant difficulty to first responder access.
5. The project obstructs the view of surrounding dwellings.

Please see submission below

SUBMISSION FROM DR WENDY NIGHTINGALE AND DR MAURICE GETT
1110/138 Walker St, North Sydney 2060

We are submitting this application to strongly oppose the high-rise development proposed in this unique part of Walker St, North Sydney. I appeal to you to consider the negative effect this lofty, cumbersome 30 storey tower and 12 storey box like construction alongside it will have on the local community – it will be intrusive: it will deprive residents and workers their right to live in a safe and joyful environment where traffic congestion and pollution are a significant safety issue, sunlight is presently a scarce commodity and privacy is already challenged. North Sydney is sadly losing its history and sense of community and a bulky 30 storey development at this site will further compromise this tiny, pleasant pocket of Walker St. The addition to this development of a twelve storey apartment block along side the huge tower is ludicrous. We have lived here for over ten years now and in that time access to the western sun has completely disappeared and this development will see a loss of most of the eastern sun we now experience. We would certainly move from this area if this development prevails.

MAJOR POINTS OF CONCERN:


TRAFFIC (some photos attached)

173-179 Walker St is the narrowest part of Walker St - it is situated at the existing heritage wall that divides the road. It is already groaning with desperate traffic problems and any further increase in population or road traffic will exacerbate these problems and endanger those who live and work in the area. Some of the issues to consider include the following:

- Traffic to Hampden St is already compromised with difficult access (we have witnessed amazing incidents –fire trucks reversing to access Hampden Ave so that they have ease of exit: other emergency vehicles including ambulance and police have employed this similar technique)

- Increasing capacity for cars will further compromise traffic flow and more importantly compromise safety to all pedestrians and motorists

- There is already poor vision from all exiting carparks

- Heavy traffic at peak periods means a trip south from Ridge St to Berry St may take a slow 20 minutes!

- Traffic pollution is always an issue

- Turning right from the Belvedere carpark is often hazardous because of poor vision and often illegally parked vehicles - at peak traffic times it is virtually impossible to consider turning right from this carpark

- The flow of traffic north from Walker St in to Hampden St is extremely dangerous because of the heritage wall splitting the road – this issue will be further compromised

- There will be an increase in demand for on- street parking which is already stretched



LOSS OF VIEWS AND SUNLIGHT

This is an area where some of the residents at 138 & 150 Walker St purchased properties with views and plenty of sunshine - their protection was certainly a key factor when keen buyers did their due diligence and trusted their research. The council have been very supportive and understanding of this location and have rejected similar planning proposals to 173-179 Walker St because the councillors are well aware of the detrimental effects these changes will incur at this unique site.

We moved to 138 Walker St in late 2013 to downsize from a suburb of Sydney and it was a really pleasant place to live – we were fortunate to have views to the north/east and west. In that time, towers have been built to the west that have blocked all our western sun. All we can see now from our western windows are row upon row of workers in offices and residents in their tiny rooms going about their business, and although a fan of Rear Window, it is fine for television but significantly intrusive on our daily living and eliminated significant sunlight and any privacy from two bedrooms.
The three towers to the north-east (in McLaren St) are now completed - they block a significant amount of our north-easterly aspect and compromise our privacy. We can’t imagine the impact of a bulky tower plus a 12 storey block to the east will have on our psyche:

- we will lose 100% of our view to the east and experience a severe loss to the north east

- we will lose the sun rising in the mornings for most of the year

- we will lose significant morning sunlight

- we will lose any privacy we now enjoy in our kitchen/dining and living rooms

Along with all these depressing scenarios we will lose a significant amount of our investment dollars in our home. To allow the build of such a bulky tower to proceed alongside another tower of 12 storeys , and to intrude and impact on so many residents, is unconscionable.

ADDITIONAL POINTS

Since arriving in North Sydney in 2013 there has been the development of a wonderful
“café culture”. At the ground level of the Belvedere apartments in 138 Walker St the outdoor café has been a joyous hub for residents and workers alike – with the addition of an overbearing tower to the east of their position they will rarely see sunlight in summer and likely none in winter.

At ground level in Walker St and many surrounding streets in North Sydney the wind tunnel effect is often severe – a bulky tower will again increase this disturbing effect and along with overshadowing and loss of sunlight make it a depressing place to frequent.

CONCLUSION

We applaud the need for the Metro in North Sydney – however the allowance of two towers (30/12) such as these will leave a negative legacy for local residents and the Victoria Cross Metro station will not be used as intended, but as a hub to escape a choking, lack lustre and characterless place that sadly lost its way. This proposal will adversely impact traffic flow and safety, views and sunlight. It is beyond belief that a development with such negative impact could receive approval . We strongly oppose the development.

Yours sincerely

Dr Wendy Nightingale OAM
Dr Maurice Gett FRACP

As a resident of Century Plaza, 171 Walker St. North Sydney I have received notification of an intended Highrise Building which is 30 stories and abuts onto our north facing pool and recreation area. It will create a great disadvantage, including shadowing and claustrophobia, for our building and green space.

As well, the Council has approved an apartment midrise building for the S-W corner of the McLaren and Walker St. junction. Already traffic is clogging the Walker/ Berry St. crossroads and no doubt with extra residents in the new Aura building and more new and altered residential and school buildings in McLaren St., the traffic there will become diabolical and dangerous.

I have repeatedly asked that the Walker St/Hampden site be earmarked for parkland. This would be some compensation for the loss of open space fromSt. Leonards Park due to the Warringah Freeway takeover of part of that and part of Cammeray Golf Club.
As well as that, we have already a University in eastern Berry St., Redham (sp?) School in McLaren St. being developed, both of which have little or no open space.
Surely Cbus sees that the Walker/ Hampden enclave would most be suited to becoming public green space. Vehicular (especially large and long vehicular) access to that site is difficult, if not impossible, due to the heritage, convict built wall in Walker St.
I think whoever is /was responsible for annexing public land for the Warringah freeway is responsible for supplying some replacement green space, including the Walker/ Hampden St. area that we have been discussing. They should pay for the costs.

I object strongly to this project.
I own two units, and experience enough traffic congestion at the moment.
strongly object to the project

See Attachment.