The Timberyards by RTL Co.

See attached

I am writing to formally object to the proposed development at the Timberyards site in Marrickville. While I support sustainable and well-planned development, this proposal raises significant concerns regarding its compliance, impact on the community, and misleading representations.

Key Objections:
1. Non-Compliant Building Height
• The proposed development is eight stories high, far exceeding the three-story height limit for the area.
• This blatant disregard for planning regulations sets a dangerous precedent and undermines local planning controls.
• The visual impact images presented by the developer are misleading and deceptive, making the building appear smaller than it actually will be.
2. Severe Parking Deficiency
• The proposal includes insufficient parking for the number of units planned.
• Increased demand for on-street parking will negatively impact local families, particularly those living on Edward and Gorman Streets, where parking is already scarce.
• Traffic congestion and safety concerns will rise due to inadequate parking infrastructure.
3. Lack of Supporting Local Services
• Local services, particularly schools, are already struggling to accommodate current demand.
• There is no clear plan to address the additional pressure this high-density development will place on schools, childcare, medical services, and public transport.
4. Not Family-Friendly or Community-Oriented
• The development fails to provide adequate family housing, with fewer than 40 three-bedroom units despite the increasing demand for family-friendly accommodation in the area.
5. Inconsistent with Marrickville’s Character
• The scale, design, and aesthetic of the proposal are not in keeping with Marrickville’s existing streetscape and heritage character.
• The proposed development is excessive in scale and does not respect the low-rise, community-focused nature of the suburb.
6. Developer Prioritising Profit Over Community Benefit
• The developer is framing this project as beneficial to the community, but the reality is a profit-driven proposal with little regard for local residents’ needs.

• The developer has engaged in a PR campaign designed to obscure the true scale and impact of the project, making it harder for residents to raise concerns.
• The lack of compliance with local planning regulations and the misleading visual representations highlight a disregard for transparency and accountability.

Conclusion

This development, as proposed, is inappropriate for Marrickville. It disregards local planning rules, negatively impacts residents, and prioritises profit over community wellbeing. I see zero local community benefit to this project. I urge the council and relevant authorities to reject this application and demand a more responsible, compliant, and community-focused proposal.

Thank you for considering my submission.

1. School and privacy. The building will be so high that people will be able to watch children in the playground at Marrickville public school. This is an unacceptable child protection risk. In addition, the school children have already been subjected to the noise of the Wicks park development over the last few years. How will the project guarantee that the children will not be disrupted in their schooling and subjected to environmental pollution from the project.
2. Not affordable. 10% affordable housing is such a small amount that it will not offset what the project takes away from the community. While renters will not have the worry of the apartments being sold, they will still be subjected to market rent and the inordinate rental increases that have forced others to move out of the area. This is being sold as affordable housing but for that to be the case rents would have to have an increase cap to protect renters from the price-gouging of the rental market.
3. The height of the building is illegal. The current maximum is 3 storeys. The spin behind this project is that the pay off for a higher development will be affordable housing but this is simply not sufficient. The surrounding residents will lose their privacy.
4. Some houses in surrounding areas will not meet legal shadowing requirements due to the height of the building. This area that already struggles with damp issues in buildings and flooding of roads and will receive inadequate sunshine to help deal with this.
5. Services- there are already long waiting lists for services in the area. With other large developments in the area occurring at the same time, how will these thousands of new residents find services? The local school as an example is very small, where will the new children go.
6. Parking. The market rent of the are is quite high. This means that most of the residents will have a higher income and yet the developers have not made adequate provision for cars. It is naive to assume that people will not have cars and parking and traffic is already difficult in the surrounding streets.
7. The local community and performance venues. There are many existing performance and dining establishments in the area. After previous similar developments, the new residents have made noise complaints, shutting down venues and destroying the artistic soul of those areas.
8. Traffic during construction. Frampton ave already has an issue with trucks double parking and causing dangerous near misses with head-on collisions despite clear signage at the entrance of the street not permitting vehicles over 3 tonnes. Adding construction vehicles to an already high-traffic area and a school zone will create traffic chaos.
9. Construction noise. For the last four years the local streets have been subject to extended-hours construction noise from the Wicks park development. It is far too soon to subject the local area to yet another four years of this.

In conclusion: while this development is being sold to the community as an affordable housing solution, it is simply another cash grab by developers who have no interest in listening or helping the community. The developers have listened to none of the concerns of the community gathered during consultation and instead pushed ahead with a project that is completely inappropriate for the needs of the community.

We desperately need more housing to fulfil the population needs and lower the average rent and buying price.
I especially support residential buildings with retail in the lower levels, like supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants, as it makes it easy for busy individual and families to obtain basic products, as well as decreasing the need for cars.
Many people worry about transport around such high density projects, but I personally think that's a secondary concern, we can provide innovative solutions like more bus and bike lanes, or allow bus on demand like BRIDJ, etc. These solutions can be experimented on and changed over time.

Extremely insuffficient parking. Whilst I appreciate the intention the reality is unlikely. Coupled with a supermarket opening across the road, increased local business activity, a local school nearby, clear ways during peak hour on the main roads and then sports events at the Henson oval, there will significant strain on nearby streets particularly residential streets for parking especially since Marrickville does not have many off steet parking options for residents.
Cycling is touted as a connectivity option in their application but cycling infrastructure is woefully lacking in the surrounding areas and would be a hazard for cyclist and motor vehicles. It's challenging already.
Non compliance with solar access to some surrounding properties who will be adversely affected. Most likely attributed to height of buildings.

If the above can be remedied appropriately that would mitigate my objection.

More well located housing please. My rent just went up $50 and I need options that aren't "leave Sydney". I'd be happier if it were higher than 8 storeys but let's not delay things any longer.

Reasons for support:
- climate: people commuting shorter distances with more public transport means less emissions
- environment: seeing swathes of native habitat being replaced with mcmansions makes me want to blow something up, we need infill to soothe my soul and keep the Dodge owners safe
- culture: dense neighbourhoods are great for enabling social events and third places
- rank financial self interest: my landlord has me by the balls! Give me some leverage!
- brain drain: if we don't solve this shit I'll move to Melbourne I swear to god

* We are in a housing crisis and this will deliver an uplift in terms of housing where people want to live - near to good and frequent public transportation and also close to the Sydney CBD in terms of employment & job opportunities
* Because of the closeness to the (~10 mins walk) to Sydenham Metro station & shops (a short walk away) - the development provides for the opportunity for those living in after completion of the project to not need to purchase a car - this has climate implications
* The proposal does not include any gas appliances or gas usage - it is great to see induction cook-tops . One minor point that I think could possibly be improved is the use of heat pump hot water which are more efficient than electric boiler systems
* The inclusion of affordable housing is great to see
* Likewise it is great to see the inclusion of retail & public space
* Consider to what degree taller buildings with a higher density yield may be suitable for the site - taking into account solar and/or other related impacts of taller buildings (e.g. shading) in the area.

The building height in this project is 8 stories high. That is significantly higher than the legal requirement for this area.
There will be over 1000 dwellings built in this project but only 216 parking spaces provided. So there's a probability that the many cars that won't have a parking space will look to park on already overcrowded streets. Where are they going to go?
Only a fraction of the dwellings are 3 bedroom ones so these dwellings are not aimed at attracting families.
The addition of so many dwellings into the area will bring in approx 3000 people. This is added pressure on local services, whose expansion has been very limited in recent years and does not match this development.

This is project is proposed on the premise of providing community benefit and affordable housing. Those two aspects are reflected minimally in the proposal, the primary benefit is a return to investors and developers.

There is insufficient parking for residents or guests, which will negatively impact the already full local streets.

There is insufficient local amenities for the proposed population increase.

The proposal is much too high. It does not fit the local area and has far reaching negative impact to existing resident's natural light.

1: Living within close proximity of the proposed Timberyards development, there are a number of issues that greatly concern me.
We are used to, having bought 20 years ago, having limited parking in our street ( due to it being zoned light industrial and having a primary school in street). This massive proposed development of 1,188 units has only allocated parking spaces for 216 cars.
Unbelievable. Where are the other 1000 plus cars going to park? Victoria Road is already a nightmare. Farr and Thompson Streets will have the spill-over. So dangerous for the pedestrians, including the school children.
2: The very small community focused Marrickville Public school will be overshadowed and 'swallowed' by this huge development.
The traffic created by the number of residents cars will be enormous and potentially very dangerous for the small children walking along Sydenham Road and Farr Streets each morning and afternoon.
3: I have concerns regarding the project selling itself as (part) affordable housing. Only 115 of the 1,188 units will be considered so.
Sydney has a housing crisis and we are desperate for MANY more than 115 units to be made affordable in a project this large.
Additionally only 40 of these units will be 'family friendly'.
The developers recent projects have been for suited to student accommodation and these 589 co-living dwellings proposed here are not needed. We do not live near a university.
4: The proposed 8 storeys will be the tallest buildings in a community neighbourhood. We are zoned, legally for 3 storeys.

Sydney has a crisis of housing affordability due to a shortage of housing.
This project will proved 1200 units in walking distance of Sydenham Metro station. It is exactly the kind of housing we need to make housing more affordable. We need much more of this.

Submission Regarding Proposed Housing Development on Sydenham Road (The Timberyards)

Dear who it may concern,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed housing development at Sydenham Road. This plan raises a number of significant concerns, both for the immediate local community and for the broader housing landscape of our area. I believe this development fails to address the housing needs of the community in a way that is sustainable, equitable, and considerate of existing residents.

1. Lack of Family Housing: The proposed development includes 1,188 units, but shockingly, only 40 of these are 3-bedroom units and 275 are 2-bedroom units. This means that a vast majority of these units will be unsuitable for families. Given the high demand for family-friendly housing, this plan does not address the critical need for larger units that can accommodate families who are struggling to find appropriate housing.

2. Inadequate Affordable Housing: Less than 10% of the proposed units are allocated as affordable housing, which is a deeply concerning figure given the current housing crisis. With rising costs and more families and individuals finding it difficult to access secure, affordable housing, this development does not provide enough support for low-income or vulnerable residents. The cost of the standard units is set at market rates, which many in our community cannot afford, further exacerbating the housing stress we are already experiencing.

3. Impact on Surrounding Infrastructure: This development, particularly with its proposed height of 8 storeys, will create numerous additional burdens on our already stretched infrastructure. The legal height limit for the area is 3 storeys, and exceeding this by such a large margin will significantly overshadow homes on Sydenham Road, Victoria Road, and surrounding streets. Many of these homes will lose a majority of their sunlight, which is not just a quality-of-life issue but also violates legal limits on shadowing.

4. Road Congestion and Traffic Impact: Sydenham Road and Victoria Road already experience severe traffic congestion, especially on weekends. The addition of 1,188 units to the area will only worsen the situation. These roads are critical corridors for local travel, and the extra volume of cars and potential bottlenecks caused by inadequate infrastructure will significantly impact the daily lives of local residents. Trying to turn right from Victoria Rd or Fitzroy St is a nightmare after swim school or grocery shopping as it is right now. Given the existing issues with traffic, this development should not move forward without a comprehensive traffic management plan to address the overwhelming congestion.

5. Strain on Local Services: Local schools and childcare services in Marrickville are already at capacity, with long waiting times for enrolment. Similarly, our local medical facilities are often overwhelmed, and this development will only increase the demand on already overburdened services. We need to ensure that any new development includes adequate provision for local infrastructure, including schools, healthcare services, and public transport.

6. Financial Profit Over Community Welfare: While this development is being promoted as a solution to the housing crisis, it is clear that the primary motivation is financial profit, rather than meeting the real needs of the community. The proposed units, many of which will be unaffordable to local residents, seem to prioritize profit over the well-being of our community. We need more than just new developments; we need housing that serves the people who already live here and contributes to the long-term sustainability of our area.

Conclusion I urge you to reconsider the current proposal and ensure that any future development is done in a way that truly benefits the community. We need more family housing, green spaces for the public, more affordable options, and thoughtful development that takes into account the existing infrastructure and the impact on current residents. I strongly encourage the council to address these concerns before moving forward with this development.

Thank you for considering my submission. I trust that you will carefully weigh the impacts of this development and make decisions that prioritize the long-term well-being of our community.

Sincerely,
Paul Drummond
149 Sydenham RD Marrickville 2204 NSW

I object to this development on the grounds of height and density which is not in keeping with the local controls and area. This development is excessive and does not have adequate parking. The area already has lack of parking this will make the situation worse and will have a detrimental effect on the entire community and environment.

The type of housing only has 40 3 bedroom units. This development is not for families and does not address the housing crisis.

The character of this development is also not in keeping with the area. The development is too big and not appropriate for families or local character.

Thank you for your consideration.

I object to this submission on the grounds that the scale is too big and the number of units are mainly single use. The project does not have adequate parking in an area with limited car space.

The number of storeys is way too high exceeding the areas limits. This will negatively impact the suburb and surrounding homes. With limited parking and excessive storeys, and ‘boarding type’ accommodation this exceeds local planning controls and density. There are only 40 units for 3 bedroom units, we need to house families in NSW. This land could be put to good use with the right amount of mix and adequate parking for families to enjoy the area.

I am also concerned about the design which clashes with the look of the local area.

We all want this project to go ahead and to benefit all the community. It fails to provide the right type of housing and will create stress for the entire community with lack of parking and excessive out of character design and building height.

Thank you for taking consideration to the residents of the area.

This proposal is excessive in orders of magnitude. I make the following submissions:
(1) Bulk and scale: the proposed development presents a bulk, scale and height that is off-the-charts excessive for the locality (which includes Thompson Street, Edward Street and Gorman Street). The locality comprises 1 – 2 storey Federation residential buildings. The development is overwhelming and inconsistent with the character and form of dwelling house developments within these surrounding streets. This will result in substantial amenity impacts for local residents and adverse streetscape outcomes. It is not in the public interest for this development to exceed what is already an excessive height limits and will set an adverse precedent for future development proposals in the locality. In my view, the development should be reduced to a maximum of four storeys, with the upper two levels set back in order to assist with the transition in bulk and scale from the surrounding residential buildings to the (extreme and overbearing) high density developments of the Victoria Road Precinct. There are also amenity and privacy and shadowing issues with the proposed development.
(2)Traffic: the local streets are already used as a rat-run for vehicles and comprise streets that are incapable of accommodating two way traffic and desperately needs widening. There is also heavy traffic at drop-off and pick-up times for the primary school located on Thompson Street / Farr Street. The addition of hundreds of cars accessing and leaving the proposed development will have a significant adverse impact on traffic flow for surrounding areas. With 1,188 units this will pump an overwhelming number of cars into the locality. Consideration must also be given to the effect on traffic once all developments in the area (including the Wicks Park development and other developments on Farr Street). The traffic study which accompanied the application is fanciful. Victoria Road is already gridlock (it was never like this only 5 years ago). An independent traffic study is required.
(3) Parking: the local streets are already devoid of parking. The parking situation is exacerbated at drop-off and pick-up times for the primary school located on Thompson Street. Thompson Street and its surrounds will not be able to accommodate the significant demand for parking resulting from the development. 1,188 units and 216 parking spots will create an utter parking dystopian nightmare. We have been petitioning Council for years to introduce resident parking as the situation is already beyond capacity.
(4) Heritage: items I1281 (2 Thompson St, Marrickville) and I246 (96 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville – being the original Marrickville Town Hall which will book-end the proposed development at the other end of Thompson Street) will be significantly impacted by this gulag inspired monolith. Thompson Street is the original center of Marrickville and its character needs to be protected.
(5) Amenity: we are beyond capacity. Every high rise development continues to destroy more and more of our amenity, all to prop up a record immigration policy as the government's saving grace to stay in power.

I am writing to formally object to the building proposal for the Timberyards development, which seeks to construct an apartment complex that I believe will have significant and detrimental effects on the local community. As a resident of Sydenham Road, I am deeply concerned about the negative impacts this development will have on my family's home, the surrounding area, and the broader community. My objections focus on the following critical issues: loss of sunlight, increased traffic and parking congestion, pressure on local schools and medical services, and the violation of the legal maximum height restrictions for the Sydenham Road area.

Firstly, the proposed building is set to be significantly taller than the current structures in the area, which will result in a serious loss of natural sunlight for my home and others in the vicinity. The shadows cast by the building will impact the quality of life for residents, especially during the winter months when daylight is already limited. Natural light is a vital part of our living environment, affecting both the well-being of individuals and the overall aesthetic of the neighborhood. This loss of sunlight is unacceptable, particularly when there are more suitable locations for development that would not result in such negative consequences for existing residents.

Secondly, the increased traffic and parking congestion caused by the proposed development is a major concern. Sydenham Road is already a busy area, and the addition of a large apartment complex will exacerbate the existing traffic issues. The development will likely lead to overcrowded streets, longer commute times, and increased pollution. Furthermore, the lack of sufficient parking spaces for both residents and visitors will add to the congestion, making it more difficult for local residents to find parking. This is a serious issue that will affect the daily lives of everyone in the area, and it must be carefully considered in any planning process.

In addition to the traffic concerns, the local schools and medical services are already operating at full capacity, and the proposed development will place additional strain on these essential services. The increased population in the area will result in higher demand for school places and medical care, which could lead to longer waiting times for appointments and limited access to education for local children. This is particularly concerning given that both schools and medical services play an essential role in the well-being of our community. The local infrastructure is not equipped to handle the surge in demand that this development will create.

Lastly, I would like to highlight that the proposed building exceeds the legal maximum height for the Sydenham Road area. This is a clear violation of the zoning regulations that are in place to maintain the character and livability of our neighborhood. Allowing this development to proceed would set a dangerous precedent and undermine the planning framework that has been established to protect residents and preserve the integrity of the area.

In conclusion, I strongly urge you to reconsider the Timberyards development proposal. The impacts on sunlight, traffic congestion, local services, and adherence to zoning laws are substantial and cannot be ignored. I hope that my concerns are taken seriously, and I respectfully request that the proposal be revised or rejected in its current form.

I live just down the road from the project and I am really glad to hear that high density housing is being proposed for the site. It is in an excellent location, close to public transport and amenities of all kinds, and in my view it is exactly the sort of site that should be put to use for apartment living, in the same way that the Wicks Place development across the road has been. More landscaped, publicly accessible space in the area will also be a bonus: at the moment there are some great takeaway food outlets within a short walk of the site but not a lot of nice places to sit and eat the food.
There are two things I am a little concerned about which I would ask the planners to be mindful of: Firstly, I would like to see a a higher proportion of the dwellings being designated as affordable housing. The suburb is expensive enough as it is. Secondly, the Metro is already very full in the mornings, and when the Metro south west extension opens, I am worried that the trains will be so full by the time they reach Sydenham that residents of the new development won't be able to fit on.
Ultimately, though, I am feeling really positive and hopeful about this development proposal. Marrickville is one of the nicest places I've ever lived - it is a thriving, vibrant community where there is always something interesting to see, eat or do. More people should be able to come and enjoy living here. If we don't build more young-person-friendly apartment complexes like this one proposed, all the cool people who make Marrickville what it is will be priced out and the suburb's culture will die. I thoroughly support the Timberyards development.

Concerned on volume of apartments and extremely insufficient parking allocation.
The size of the buildings light impact on surrounding exisiting residential properties.
Overcrowding of local facilities and green spaces as not enough planned as part of development given number of apartments.

This project is well located, well designed, and will provide much needed housing supply for the inner west.

The additional traffic generated by this project will be lower than other projects of a similar size due to its minimal 287 parking spaces. The inclusion of 22 private ride sharing car spaces is smart, as it allows people to still be able to access car travel when needed without needing to fully own a car.
The amount of parking is sufficient due to its close location to Sydenham train station.
The lower amount of car parking spaces will reduce the cost of construction, allowing the developer to rent out the units at a lower rate whilst still making a profit and thus actually provide affordable housing in perpetuity. The large scale of the development will also facilitate economies of scale, which will bring the overall cost of construction down.

The project location already has incredible access to nearby open space which includes public parks, a bowling club, and tennis courts, which will facilitate a healthy lifestyle.

As a build-to-rent project, the developer maintains ownership of the building as it rents out it's apartments. This provides the developer an incentive to provide durable, high quality housing which will not fall apart in 10 years times.

As a suggestion, the developer should contribute to building more bike parking at Sydenham station.

Plan is based not suitable for the area, too tall, not enough off street parking, not enough larger apartments made for families . The surrounding streets are already unable to cope with the current traffic how will this impact this further and what plans are in place to accommodate this?