Sydney Metro Crows Nest Over Station Development

Over Station Concept Proposal and Environmental Impact Statement [EIS]
for the Crows Nest Metro

See attachment

'Over Station Concept Proposal and Environmental Impact Statement [EIS]
for the Crows Nest Metro'

See Attachment

Please find attached my submission regarding the
Concept State Significant Development Application SSD 18 9579
Sydney Metro Crows Net Over Station Development

The DRAFT St Leonards / Crows Nest Plan 2036 is ill conceived - it seems
to be based on the ludicrous concept that relentlessly increasing the
population density
of a given area is in some way an economically efficient way of
housing people. It is bizarre. It is completely lacking in its ability
to envision that what is proposed
has the potential to turn the whole precinct into a dysfunctional,
urban disaster.

The brakes need to be applied to this mindless emphasis of the Greater
Sydney Commission to pour more and more people into the Crows Nest/St
Leonards area
and for that matter many other areas of suburban Sydney. A dramatic
rethink needs to be undertaken on this whole concept of ever
increasing population targets
for urban areas. Many are already at breaking point.

In regard to Crows Nest/St Leonards there are already signs of the
area being overwhelmed with traffic at various times of the day.

If all the proposed population targets are implemented and all the
associated social infrastructure that would be required to service the
vastly increased population -
schools, pre-schools, retail, etc etc - is installed, the Crows Nest/
St Leonards area, which is on one of the main arteries into the Sydney
CBD, will be overwhelmed
by the associated traffic.

It will not be an economically efficient precinct, rather it will more
than likely be an economically inefficient urban cot case..

Crows Nest / St Leonards also runs the risk of becoming a very
undesirous place to live if this plan is implemented. An urban
concrete jungle with all the associated
social problems this entails is likely. It could have serious
consequences for the lifestyles of many of the citizens living in the
nearby suburbs.

As I said at the outset, the DRAFT St Leonards / Crows Nest Plan 2036
is ill conceived, and the Greater Sydney Commission needs to go back
to the drawing
board and rethink its whole modus operandi of relentlessly increasing
the population density of Sydney and its suburbs. It runs the risk of
turning the great city
of Sydney into a dysfunctional urban trainwreck, and a very
economically inefficient one at that.

See attached Submission 2019-01-06 Subm EIS Concept SSD
and supporting files extracted from EIS documents and used fairly for
clarity purposes in this submission only.

See two attachments

To: Director Sydney Urban Renewal
Department of Planning an Environment
GPO Box 39 Sydney NSW 2001Submission link
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=9579

Re: State-Significant DA 18 9579 & EIS for the Crows Nest OSD
(Over-Station-Development)

This Concept DA and EIS and the Rezoning Proposal are designed to make
obscene gains for its proponents
at the expense of those who live in the vicinity.

Consequently both are REJECTED


First, our Post Office was removed to another suburb to make way for
this development and getting it back into this site is essential. By
building a railway stop at Crows Nest, Sydney Metro (SM) took away our
Post Office that not only served the suburbs of Waverton,
Wollstonecraft, Crows Nest and parts of Greenwich, but also
illustrates why people are more up in arms about their PO being taken
away than a new railway station that nobody asked for!
Have a look at the composition of the elderly living in these suburbs
- they walk with crutches and walking frames. How can they get to a
Post Office anymore? Sydney Metro/DPE is making their lives infinitely
more difficult by removal of the PO from Crows Nest. Here's a chance
to earn some brownie points guys - put our Post Office back to where
it was please.
I am equally disappointed to see that the original promise we were
given in 2016 has been conveniently forgotten to allow the
DEP/SM/State Govt to suck every last dollar out of this OSD. Two years
ago we were enticed with how low-impact on the environment this OSD
would be. Obviously we were lied to. And that a Minister of State
could be party to this is alarming to say the least.
There is absolutely no reason why a subterranean railway station needs
to go to any height above ground, let alone 27 storeys! This so-called
"Concept and EIS" degrades 5 lower-north shore suburbs without any
benefit to its residents - but I bet there are already developer
vultures waiting in the wings to build on the site and make a fortune
out of it!

This OSD needs to be an employment hub because what we do NOT need or
want is more residential accommodation in addition to what has/is
already taking place along Pacific Highway. Even the Premier has come
out opposing any further increase in population. What do you think
that means? It means that it's
not OK to continue proliferating forests of high-rises. The Department
seems to be ignoring its own boss!

 To save repetition, please read my objection to "Rezoning of
Crows Nest OSD" in
conjunction with this.

Next, if the Dept P & E pushes these plans through for Sydney Metro,
SM will be exempt from Special Infrastructure contributions and S.94
contributions to Council. How could this be possible? One rule for
everybody else, another for mates? The collusion is breathtaking...
Given that population in the adjacent localities is slanted towards
the elderly as mentioned above, it would have been logical to include
radiologies or medical centres on the site. Instead what do we get? A
Hotel. What on earth justifies (another) hotel in the area, especially
one 17 storeys high?
Anticipating public outcry re hundreds more apartments coming off the
drawing board, some SM charlie thought about this and said "let's not
call it a residential tower, let's call it a Hotel". Immediately I was
reminded of the demise of the Ramada Inn of similar size that used to
be on the highway, near the Mater. We watched as the Ramada's
patronage dwindled to such an extent (even though it had views of the
harbour both front and back) that it became unviable for its owners
and was sold. No shortage of developers to convert to/build more
apartments! The similarity between this Hotel and the one in SM's
plans is striking - plus the views won't be there except from (I
estimate) the top 3-4 storeys, so it will help to speed up this
Railway Hotel's demise too. Either way, SM won't have long to wait
before it gets hundreds more apartments to sell for a fortune.
Original objective achieved... if Building `C' is approved, that is.
That hotel has to go.
We really resent being duped like this. It is demeaning of Sydney
Metro to get to its original objective in this underhanded fashion.
People can be excused for thinking they're dealing with a bunch of
bozos!
The next reason for objecting to the OSD is because, if it were
allowed to go through unmodified, there would be a domino effect by
way of precedent. Developers would fall over each other to submit
plans to build on adjacent sites! Therefore even the slightest
possibility of this must be cut off, by limiting the OSD site to what
we were promised back in 2016!
Next - and I wouldn't have picked this one up if somebody hadn't
pointed it out to me: SM's axonometric diagram (at 45 degrees angle)
ignores perspective and gives the reader the incorrect impression that
the proposed buildings are relatively small when compared to future
and existing high-rise developments in St Leonards. The image distorts
reality because the true perspective of the tower at 472 Pacific
Highway is at RL 180, roughly the same as the two 27 storey towers (RL
183), and as a result the two towers would look very much taller than
depicted in this distorted image!

How dare a government department approve of releasing a misleading and
deceptive document like this??

In my submission on "Rezoning" I called for an Enquiry to get to the
bottom of just how much the NSW Premier shuts an eye to: how far her
Environment & Planning cowboys are pushing the limits to, to feed
State coffers.

I also have to ask myself: why is the Dept of Planning & Environment
bending over for SM? Sanctioning and propelling SM's DA?


IN SUMMARY

1) The mass and height of the buildings A & B along Pacific Highway is
NOT on; what would be acceptable is either a landscaped meeting area
with trees to replace fumes with oxygen or, if we get our Crows Nest
Post Office back on the site (of which we were robbed and now it's not
even in the plan) then I would recommend to my Wollstonecraft Precinct
that it support low-rise over-the-station buildings of 4 storeys above
ground (max.) that we were promised in the 2016 EIS !

2) Inclusion of a building "C" on the site - building C must be
deleted altogether.
3) Don't even think about above-ground parking anywhere on the site of
this DA.

4) The percentage of residential floor space to commercial floor space
is unacceptable.

5) Overshadowing of Nicholson Street Wollstonecraft, Hume St. Park or
Ernest Place at any time by any building will NOT be tolerated.

6) The whole proposal is devoid of job creation or even planning for
it ....and I don't mean just more coffee shops either.

7) Crows Nest Village has been built up by its Chamber of Commerce in
collaboration with Nth Sydney Council over many years, and if the
proponents of this SSD don't care, the communities surrounding it who
use the Village do care, and resolve that NOT EVEN A SINGLE SHADOW
WILL TOUCH what has been achieved over a long time - because there is
much more to the Village's ambience and amenity than just a Willoughby
Road and an Ernest Place!

As none of the above are dealt with in the "Concept" plan, we look
forward to a new/revised DA to replace the current one with that's
predicated on insatiable greed. How about sparing a thought for the
people who have to live there, and then we might be more receptive of
your plans, OK?


SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER


Even if the Dept of P & E/SM ignore our calls for reason and
understanding because they just want to have residents' guts for their
garters, prudence would suggest that the Premier, her Transport
Minister and his SM factotums consider their futures, because their
jobs may not be there after the next election.

Is this a threat? No. It is the sentiment of just about everyone I
talk to. There are around 8,000 voters in the areas this DA is going
to impact.

People don't forget. And those who do, will be reminded come election
time.





G. Benson
104 Shirley Rd, Wollstonecraft 8th January, 2019.

Please see attached submission. It contains no personal information as I
do not wish my details to be published.

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