Hi council,
I am writing to you today not just as a resident, but as a deeply concerned long-standing member of the family who calls 12 Stanhope Road, Killara, home. It is with considerable alarm and outright dismay that we object in the strongest possible terms to the proposed 10-storey apartment development in such close proximity to my relatives property.

This isn't just a house; it's a heritage building, a significant part of Killara's historical fabric. Its architectural integrity and historical value are undeniable. To allow a towering, modern apartment block to overshadow a property of such cultural significance is not only architecturally incongruous but also a gross dereliction of the Council's duty to preserve our local heritage. Such a development would irrevocably diminish the character and setting of a building that should be protected, not dwarfed into insignificance.

Furthermore, let's talk about privacy – or the complete lack thereof that this development would inflict upon us. Our home, like many in Killara, was designed with a certain expectation of space and seclusion. We have a private backyard, complete with a tennis court and swimming pool – amenities that are fundamental to our family's enjoyment of our home and our quality of life. The notion of a 10-storey apartment building peering directly into our private recreational spaces is utterly unacceptable. It's an egregious invasion of privacy that would render our backyard unusable and transform our cherished home into a fishbowl for hundreds of new residents. This is not just an inconvenience; it is a profound infringement on our right to enjoy our own property in peace.

Finally, and perhaps most immediately impactful for the entire neighborhood, are the traffic concerns. Stanhope Road is, to put it mildly, a narrow street. It was never designed to accommodate the sheer volume of vehicles that a 10-storey apartment complex housing a staggering 192 car spaces would generate. The idea of nearly 200 additional cars trying to navigate our already constrained local roads is frankly terrifying. We foresee immediate and severe traffic congestion, increased noise pollution, significant safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists, and a drastic reduction in the quality of life for every single resident on Stanhope Road and surrounding streets. The existing infrastructure simply cannot cope, and the thought of perpetual gridlock in our quiet, residential area is an absolute nightmare.

In conclusion, this proposed development poses an unacceptable threat to our heritage, our privacy, and the fundamental liveability of our community. We urge you, to consider the profound and negative ramifications of this project and to reject the development application. Please prioritize the preservation of Killara's unique character and the well-being of its long-standing residents over the interests of developers.

Thank you for your time and serious consideration of these critical issues.

Sincerely,

I object to SSD-81890707 — the proposed residential flat buildings at 10, 14, and 14a Stanhope Road, Killara.
What concerns me most about this proposal is how it exploits the state’s TOD policy not to deliver good planning outcomes, but to justify excessive density and poor design in an established heritage conservation area. It does so while ignoring the joint efforts of Ku-ring-gai Council and the State Government to develop a more sensible and balanced alternative TOD plan , one that better accommodates local character, community feedback, and environmental constraints.
The council’s Preferred Scenario has been publicly exhibited and is widely supported. It aims to deliver housing in a way that respects built heritage and local context. Yet the EIS for this SSD proposal makes no mention of this plan. It’s hard not to view that silence as a deliberate attempt to avoid compliance with more appropriate planning standards — particularly the lower FSR and a more sensible urban design controls. Instead, the developer appears to be using the minimum provision of affordable housing as a parachute to land overdevelopment into Killara, prioritising financial gain over thoughtful design outcomes.
The impact on the heritage value of Stanhope Road is particularly distressing. The adjacent property at No. 12 is a listed heritage item, yet the Heritage Impact Statement fails to offer any real analysis of how its setting and amenity will be degraded. Nor did the HIS adequately assess the dwelling’s (No. 12) contribution to the broader Heritage Conservation Area.
This kind of development does not reflect the collective benefit of our community or competent planning. I urge you to reject SSD-81890707 and support a vision for Killara that balances growth with character, heritage, and genuine public interest.

Submission attached

Submission attached

The project is out of scale for this street. This is a heritage conservation area with a number of heritage listed houses. To plonk a ten story development in the middle of it is quite obscene. This has only happened due to the incompetence of the Council and State Government for appropriate planning of housing - the gap between the TOD (and it's various changes) and Council's own plans has allowed this development to slip through. If you want to approve this scale and type of development in this street then rezone the entire street for it. Do not allow for one development like this in the middle of the rest.
I am in favour of infilling and more development closer to transport, as well as for the creation of more affordable housing. I would like the department and Council to do a better job of planning this out coherently and sensibly.
The consultation on this development process has been a farce. Even this system to make a submission is terrible - I had to register twice (first time I did not get an email confirmation). Then it sent me around in circles telling me my profile wasn't set up correctly and I should log in again. I was about to give up after the 10th try and then it somehow let me in. This is really not good enough for the Department of Planning. It's almost like you have deliberately created a difficult and onerous process for making a submission in order to avoid submissions. I am highly my technically competent and if I struggled with it I wonder how elderly neighbours would manage. Do better!
The other objection I have for this proposal are:
- inadequate traffic management. This street is already at capacity as it is a rat run through the suburb. There is no consideration for how another 200 cars on this street would not make the situation substantially worse
- the design is not respectful of the heritage conservation area. I have to get permission to change my front fence, yet you will allow a modern apartment building to be built in the same street
- the properties are in the direct flight path of a large colony of bats - this does not appear to have been taken into account in terms of the loss of the trees they nest in
- this proposal is billed as affordable housing but I would question how much affordable housing is actually included in the proposal and if it really meets the definition of affordable housing or just a cynical use of this in order to get extra floor space ratio.

Dear Adela,

I am writing to express my strong objection to this proposed development which would be entirely non-compliant under Council's Preferred Scenario. No doubt, these fast-tracked applications seek to bypass Councils' legitimate processes, thus undermining the Court-Mediated Agreement between Council and the NSW Government. Unlike the TOD, Council's Preferred Scenario was the result of a lengthy community engagement process which locals were afforded the opportunity to participate in.

I am supportive of development in Ku-ring-gai which duly conforms with Council's Preferred Scenario.

I note other points specific to this proposed development as well.

The height and density are significant - proposal for 10 storeys and 135 apartments which will obviously be visually jarring in lieu of the surrounding site.

There will be significant impacts to heritage, with 9 neighbouring heritage properties, and the proposed development site being contained in a Heritage Conservation Area.

Current infrastructure is not adequate to account for the increased density, especially the local roads infrastructure. There are already significant parking and traffic congestion issues in the area, and this will only be exacerbated with the addition of 195 car spaces.

I also note that despite the EIS discussing the proposed development site as being "a short walk to Killara Village" no site exists to my knowledge. I further note that the EIS contains no information about the impact on Killara High School and other local primary schools. I note that instead, the EIS merely mentions the locality of "schools" as a matter for consideration. The EIS lacks comprehensiveness in this way. For example, I am interested to know about the enrolments at Killara High School and whether they have further capacity for student intake.

Thank you.

I object to SSD-81890707 - Residential flat buildings with infill affordable housing -10, 14 and 14a Stanhope Road, Killara. This development is inappropriate for Killara, not in the public interest, it contradicts Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Alternative Scenario for Killara, and prioritizes corporate profit over community well-being.
I urge the NSW Planning to reject Stanhope Road Residence Holdings Pty Limited’s proposal and adopt Ku-ring-gai Council’s approach, which, unlike the NSW Planning TOD or, the Stanhope Road SSD, was developed after extensive community consultation.