As a long time resident of Mosman, a suburb known for its village appeal, quiet residential streets and a strong sense of community, the development that is currently taking place is gathering an overwhelming juggernaut which will change this suburb forever - and not in a good way. I am fully aware of the need for more housing and I embrace some of the development that is occurring as it is suitable for the location along Military Road where there is ease of access to public transport, schools, shopping centres etc. The population is growing and ALL suburbs need to grow to accommodate this population. However, the development at 40-48 Redan Street stands alone as a vast monolith with its height, its bulk, its structural impact on the surrounding houses and its geographical location which is completely unsuitable for a project this size. The inclusion of 8 bedsits and 3 executive affordable units is simply providing a path to permit a development of this ridiculous size to go ahead - it is not a genuine concern of the developer who is only interested in profit. I would love to ask said developer if they would like to live next to a development of this size - I think not.

The excavation alone will damage all the surrounding properties, the visual impact will ruin Balmoral slopes and the increase in traffic during and post construction will cause safety concerns for a very family oriented area. The height, the bulk and the visual impact in this quiet residential street and the loss of the heritage houses that are being bulldozed is a very sad reflection of where developments are heading. We need more housing but if developments such as this go ahead, it will change Sydney forever.

The decision is in your hands - you are the ones who are creating your legacy and you have to be proud of that legacy. I would be proud to know I have been part of growing Sydney in a good way but I would not be proud of allowing monoliths that will ruin a suburb forever. Please do not allow this to go ahead.

My objection submission is attached.

I am a resident in Muston Street Mosman with access to our garage via Redan Lane and I wish to lodge an objection, in the strongest terms, to the proposed massive development at 40-48 Redan Street Mosman that backs (all the way) to Redan Lane. My family and I have lived in the area for 27 years, the last 16 in Muston Street, and we are quite distressed over the proposal to build a multi-storey property on the Balmoral slopes. The direct impact to our property will be the significant increase in traffic on the tiny lane that provides our garage access, Redan Lane, both during construction and once residents move into the 53 dwellings with a staggering 106(!) car spaces.
The current lane is quite small and is already under significant pressure and the impact of this new development will make access very challenging, if not impossible. Currently if a car is parked in the lane it is challenging to get by and it is very unsafe for pedestrians. It is unthinkable the impact of 106 cars, being approximately 100 more than it is currently struggling to handle, would have on this tiny lane.
I am supportive of redevelopment of properties for lower cost and multi-purpose living close to transport hubs. But is a concrete block of 10 stories, primarily of high end luxury apartments, adding 100 cars to an area that already can’t handle traffic really the best answer?
The indirect impact of this and other proposed massive developments of 6-10 storeys where period properties are demolished is significant. It is perplexing to me that we are not allowed to trim a tree by more than 10% or change the color of our existing properties without approval, but lovely old properties and gardens can be bulldozed and replaced with very out of place multi-storey concrete blocks.
The proposed development at 40-48 Redan St is so out of place on lovely Balmoral slopes and, if approved, will inevitably lead to further out of character properties being built in this unique part of Mosman/Sydney. The visual eyesore will be intense, and the loss of magical views for current residents, that have been carefully maintained over 100 years, will be forever lost. The character and charm of Mosman will, unfortunately, be totally trashed if huge structures such as 40-48 Redan St are allowed to proceed in this quiet neighbourhood. The only word I can think of for this unsympathetic trashing of one of Sydney’s most beautiful areas is tragedy.

This development is excessively large for the area in which it is planned. The roads on which it will be built, Redan Street and Redan Lane, are unable to support a development of this size. Redan Lane, in particular, is extremely narrow and large vehicles will extremely restrict residential use of this street, especially during construction periods.
The bulk of this development will impact adversely on the amount of sunlight on neighbouring residences and hence affect the mental health of the occupants of same. It will also mean that visibility in Redan Lane will be severely reduced and make it less safe for bike riders who use this lane to avoid the present congestion on adjacent Redan Street and Muston Street. Increased traffic flow as a result of the development will also render more congestion on the narrow streets of its surrounding area.
High rise buildings of this type should be restricted to the ridgeline of the Mosman suburb, ie Military and Spit Roads . In this way the outlooks provided to the harbour remain available for all users of Mosman streets , not just the residents of these units.
I would also be concerned at the likely difficulties for deep excavation on this steep slope and the potential damage to the surrounding roads with the increased use of large trucks usually needed in such constructions. Why should Mosman Council rate payers bare the added maintenance costs incurred by such large developments on restricted and steep traffic corridors?

Please see attached letter.

The project is hardly an 'Affordable Housing' project. What is the definition of 'Affordable'? Who determines the price of the 'Affordable' housing apartments? the developer? Conflicts of interest abound. What happens on re-sale? Does the affordability issue still hold and for how long - in perpetuity? Two-bedroom apartments for less than $1 million? The project will be twice, perhaps three times the height of any residential building on the eastern side of Military Road and an absolute eyesore. Redan Street is already congested. Post Code 2088 has not had any upgrade or expansion of transport infrastructure for over 40 years. Traffic on Milirary Road is already congested, the addition of a potential 106 vehicles is environmentally unsound. There is only one main thoroughfare in and out of the suburban centre and the project will add to existing problems. What happens should the Penguin site be sold by the government and redeveloped? Traffic chaos.

I object to the proposed SSD at 40-48 Redan St Mosman, for a number of reasons detailed below. My wife and I are residents of Redan St and have been residents in a number of homes in Mosman for many years. I do not object , in principle, to new housing developments in Mosman and surrounding suburbs but I object to this particular development because the proposal for 53 home units and 106 car spaces is simply excessive in the location in which it is envisaged due to:
- impact on local infrastructure such as roads, pathway, etc particularly at peak times. Redan Street, Redan Lane and Upper Almora Street are not major thoroughfares with implications for pedestrian safety and traffic congestion. Traffic congestion is already a major problem in the suburb and anotger 106 plus vehicles will further exaserbate this issue
- the development's excessive bulk drastically affects the street scape, overshadowing of adjacent homes, loss of views and adversely impacts the general heritage style character of the landscape of Mosman Slopes
- while I understand the development caters for some units classified as "affordable housing", the overall development is clearly one catering for luxury homes. Once the required timeframe has elapsed, I can foresee that the "affordable' properties will be redeveloped to maintain the luxury status of the building
- the existing properties in the vicinity of the proposed development are representative of the character that makes Mosman appealing. A 10 story behemoth plunked right in the middle of this is completely inappropriate and unsuitable to the site proposed
- a development of this nature, size and height MAY be appropriate along Military or Spit Roads, but not Redan Street.
In summary - this proposed development is completely inappropriate for the site planned. I am disappointed that the proposal has come as far as it has given how obviously detrimental its impact would be on Mosman. It is clear that greed is the predominant factor underlying this proposal with absolutely no regard for the suburb.

SCENIC PROTECTION AREA – currently covers this site and the Balmoral slopes. The location of a 10-storey building part way down a sloping hill is extremely bad planning and does not take into consideration the local environment. Developments should step down a hill, not be a shock to the natural landscape.
The height and bulk of the proposed development will create a brick wall effect for pedestrians and motorists as they travel towards Balmoral Beach; viewed from the beach upwards it will forever change the character of the iconic Balmoral slopes.
LOCAL TRAFFIC. On a hot day with beachgoers trying to return home the traffic can be at standstill halfway down both Raglan and Awaba streets, creating a safety issue for residents needing to leave their residences. There are not enough exit routes from Balmoral Beach to deal with any real increase in population.
Redan Lane is too narrow for the trucks and cranes needed for this development (the lane was probably designed to accommodate the horse and buggy!).
FUTURE FLOODING - we live on Balmoral slopes in a street below Redan Street and have experienced flooding when the sandstone up the hill has been disturbed. We are concerned about any future flooding issues given the proposed extensive excavation of the sandstone, approx. 10 metres, which will change the natural flow of water.
NON-COMPLIANCE – the proposed development exceeds height controls.
LUXURY APARTMENTS vs PROVIDING ADDITIONAL HOUSING FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION – apartments in the recently completed “Redan Lane” at 22 Redan Street sold from $13.5M- $19.5M+. It can be assumed that the cost of an apartment at 40-48 Redan Street will far exceed these figures. Most locals would not be able to afford to downsize to one of these luxury apartments as the cost of an apartment will be far higher than what they would achieve if they sold their family home ie no housing stock will be freed up. Who is going to buy these apartments? Overseas buyers? How is this development going to provide additional housing to Sydneysiders?