I am a resident of North Narrabeen and a frequent user of Ocean Street, Lagoon Street and the surrounding local area. I am deeply concerned about the proposed “Indigo by Moran” State Significant Development at 156 Ocean Street.

This submission outlines my objection to the proposal on planning, environmental and social grounds. My concerns relate primarily to incompatibility with local character, excessive height and scale, inadequate traffic and parking provision, and environmental unsuitability given the site’s sensitive coastal location.

1. Incompatibility with Local Character and Planning Controls

The proposal is fundamentally inconsistent with the Northern Beaches Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Narrabeen’s established coastal village character.
• Excessive height and bulk: The proposed six-storey (approx. 21m) structure dramatically exceeds the prevailing building height in the surrounding residential area, which is predominantly two to three storeys. This will result in visual dominance and overshadowing of neighbouring properties, beaches, and public reserves.
• Precedent risk: Approving a development of this magnitude will set a dangerous precedent for similar large-scale “seniors housing” projects along the Northern Beaches, undermining the area’s low-rise coastal identity.
• Inconsistent urban form: The building’s bulk and modern form do not integrate with the existing urban fabric or the character of Ocean Street and Lagoon Street, which are defined by smaller-scale residential dwellings and coastal open space.

2. Unsuitability of the Site for State Significant Seniors Housing

While providing housing for seniors is important, this site is not suitable for the proposed scale or typology.
• Limited walkability and accessibility: The steep terrain, distance from shops and medical facilities, and lack of public transport connectivity make the location impractical for over-60s independent living.
• Environmental vulnerability: The site lies within the coastal hazard zone and is exposed to potential flooding, coastal erosion, and sea-level rise risks. Developing at this intensity is inconsistent with the Coastal Management Act 2016 and State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards).
• Tokenistic assisted-living component: Only 10 assisted-living beds are proposed out of 149 units, which fails to meet genuine seniors-housing needs and suggests the development is primarily a luxury apartment complex.

3. Traffic, Parking and Access Impacts

The proposal will exacerbate existing traffic congestion and parking stress along Ocean Street and connecting roads.
• Inadequate parking provision: With only 178 car spaces for 149 units and staff, the shortfall will force overflow parking onto surrounding residential streets such as Lagoon, Octavia, and Loftus Streets. This will worsen congestion, reduce resident amenity, and compromise pedestrian safety.
• Increased service and construction traffic: Heavy vehicle movements during and after construction will add significant safety risks, especially near pedestrian crossings and narrow coastal roads frequently used by children, cyclists, and beachgoers.
• Cumulative impact: Ocean Street already experiences congestion due to beach traffic, surf club activity, and weekend visitors. Adding this volume of permanent vehicle movements is unsustainable.

4. Environmental and Amenity Impacts
• Shadowing and loss of privacy: The proposed building height will result in significant overshadowing of nearby homes and public open space, reducing solar access and residential amenity.
• Stormwater and drainage concerns: Increased impervious surfaces will intensify runoff into Narrabeen Lagoon and surrounding drainage systems, increasing flood risks.
• Visual impact on the coastal landscape: The development will be highly visible from the beach, lagoon, and surrounding headlands, conflicting with the scenic coastal landscape values protected under the Coastal Design Guidelines 2023

5. Conclusion

For the reasons outlined above, I strongly object to SSD-76220734 – Indigo by Moran, 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen.

The proposal:
• Conflicts with the existing character of Narrabeen;
• Fails to respect local height, density, and environmental controls;
• Introduces unacceptable traffic, parking, and safety impacts; and
• Is unsuitable for seniors housing in its current form.

I urge the Department of Planning to refuse the application or, at minimum, require substantial redesign to align with the surrounding low-rise context, local planning framework, and environmental constraints.

Regards,
Michael Young

I am writing as a resident of Ocean Street to formally object to the proposed 6-storey over 50 development.

Grounds for Objection

Inconsistent with Local Character
There are currently no 6-storey buildings within this suburb. The existing streetscape is characterised by low- to medium-rise residential dwellings, typically between one and three storeys. Introducing a 6-storey building would be visually intrusive and inconsistent with the established character of Ocean Street and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Conflict with Planning Intent and Density Expectations
To my knowledge, there has been no indication from the State Government or Council in recent strategic planning proposals that this area is intended for high-density or 6-storey development. The scale and intensity of this proposal appear to exceed what is envisaged under current planning frameworks and would set an undesirable precedent for future overdevelopment.

Unacceptable Visual and Amenity Impacts
The proposed height will overshadow neighbouring properties, reduce privacy, and create an overbearing bulk when viewed from the street and adjoining residences. This will have a significant negative impact on the amenity and enjoyment of existing residents.

Traffic and Parking Concerns
Ocean Street is already experiencing traffic congestion and limited on-street parking. A high-density building of this scale will further strain local infrastructure and reduce safety and accessibility for residents and visitors.

Environmental and Infrastructure Capacity
It is unclear whether local infrastructure—including stormwater, waste collection, and public transport—has the capacity to accommodate a development of this size without negatively impacting existing residents.

Conclusion

For these reasons, I respectfully request that Council refuse this Development Application in its current form. I urge Council to ensure that any future development on this site aligns with the existing character, height limits, and strategic vision for Ocean Street and the wider suburb.

Thank you for considering my submission. I would appreciate being kept informed of any further progress or amendments to this application.

My property borders , on the proposed multiple level apartment / retirement home, I am not a builder , my home is in great conditions , they are going to dig a carpark {3 levels} below ground level { 3 / 4 level above } apartments , I wish to request a licensed : eg - local council / gov't engineer, surveyor , or builder OR all of them do a report on the condition of my house before and after the construction of this dwelling - I am very concerned.

The proposed six-storey development on Ocean Street is inconsistent with the established low-rise coastal character of Narrabeen, introducing excessive bulk and scale that would dominate the streetscape and diminish the area’s visual harmony. Its height and massing would create significant overshadowing on neighbouring dwellings, reducing sunlight to private open spaces well beyond acceptable limits, while upper-level balconies and windows would directly overlook adjoining properties, eroding privacy and amenity. The resulting density and scale represent over-development for the site, compromising both the livability and coastal village identity that define this community.

I strongly object to the size of this development. 5-6 storeys is way too high for this street including the extra traffic it will cause on a road that is already busy . It does not fit in with the beachside residences . Three storeys in line with other buildings in the area would be a much better outcome .

I object to the current building height and the number of dwellings.
I do not object to a building height of 3 levels.
We do not have the infrastructure to house this many people.
The building height is ridiculously out of character for this area.
The whole peninsular is over built and therefore over populated.
This is a money grabbing exercise by the developers.
We have no decent roads in or out.
Our hospital was moved to the end of 1 laned flood prone and then gated 'shut' Wakehurst Parkway.
Mona vale road works were stopped by government making it also 1 lane each way in places
So absolutely not 6 stories on Ocean St
Over population, over sized, overshadowing neighbouring properties, not enough street parking as it is, no proper crossings for safety.

Our only mode of transport is by bus service that can't cope with the amount of people using it

Having 150 units being built is absolutely ridiculous, there is no parking as it is on the streets and having 150 units with probably two people living in each is only going to make our streets more busy. Narrabeen isn’t built to have units like that. Please don’t do this.

Six stories on Lagoon street with no parking? This will create traffic chaos and it not aligned with the rest of the suburb. This is a private enterprise and will add no value to the local community. Sure keep it as a retirement village, 3 stories maximum. Based on what I can see of the development it is a monstrosity and should not be allowed to proceed given the impact on the local community via Overlook and traffic congestion.

INTRODUCTION
My name is Deborah Inkster
Address: 4/150 Ocean St Narrabeen 2101 NSW
I would like to object to the current proposed project because I am a neighbour of Indigo and live next door towards the front of the proposed building on Ocean Street. I am retired, live with my husband and spend most of my time at home and in the surround area on the peninsula. We downsized and moved to the northern beach for our retirement.
In future years I may likely be looking to enter a Retirement Living Village.
I would be looking for one that provides high -quality design, considerate operations and long -term stewardship. That supports aging in place and supportive community activities. One that works well with the local area and neighbourhood and is sensitive to the environmental sustainability.
I would therefore assume that other prospective residents would want to feel the same about the community and the building they were buying into. If they fully understood the impact of Indigo by Moran project I'm concerned, they would not want to be a part of something so large, overpowering and disruptive to the neighbourhood.
So, I have my concerns.
The current design would impact my everyday life, my interaction with the neighbourhood and the general environment I live in.

My Everyday life Impact
1.Sunshine Loss/Overshadowing due to the Height and proximity of the Building
Our unit is on the southern side of the complex on the ground floor with 6 large windows facing north, adjacent to the proposed complex.
Due to the proximity and height of the building 21.1m (which is 71.5 % above the SEPP recommendation) we will have significant over shadowing through the day, which we don't have currently with the current 3 story building.
During the winter months, predominately we will have shade over our living area and kitchen as we have 6 north facing windows. We will most likely need to increase the use of our air conditioning due to these reasons.
Our outdoor communal clothes lines will be in full shade in the winter, for longer periods, that will need the use close dryers, increasing our energy consumption. We also have a garden area included in our ownership along this side, which will be impacted by overshadowing.
2. The building height blocks My Sky view (please see attachment no1)
The proposal Non -compliance with the Height asking 71.5% above SEPP regulations.
We will no longer see the blue sky from the 6 north facing windows, so limiting our view of sky to the front veranda exit.
The height and bulk of the building results in significant visual intrusion and view loss for my unit.
3. The inadequate Setbacks from our boundary invading My Privacy.
My privacy is affected by the height, as mentioned and by the closeness of the corner units on level 1-3 and their extended curved balconies. The current balcony planned set back is only 2.605m away from our fence line. This exacerbates the perception of bulk and mass impacting my privacy. There is a direct line of vision from these balconies on Level 1-3 into our 6 window areas.
My privacy day and night inside is affected which means shutters may have to be closed , further reducing the light in the room.
This privacy loss also impacts my use of the clothesline, our backyard and front courtyard for personal and social activities. Tree screening may be provided , however this may also impact the amount of light on our outside area.
4. My Interaction with the Neighbourhood
There will be overloading and an increase in difficulty for me to park my car in the street /streets that surround my house. This is due to the large number of Indigo residents ,staff, visitors, trade and maintenance vehicles, that will need to park on the same streets , because of the insufficient car parking provision, in the proposal, eg 4 abled bodied and 3 accessible spaces. 3 staff spaces. It is already difficult to find a park most evening, better in the day which will now change. Like ourselves we have two cars with only one car park, so I can assume a high percentage of the owners will have two cars. The proposal states two carparks per unit, however the plans only show enough room for 1 car space.
The increase traffic flow and acoustic noise increases will impact our low-density neighbourhood and safety of the many locals that walk on Ocean Street.
5. My Interaction with the Environment.
I’m concerned that the excessive bulk and size of the building so close to my residence will significantly result in reducing natural ventilation, sea breezes and general ventilation of surrounding buildings. The summer heat and cooling sea breezes is a pleasant part of life by the sea. This impact is likely to exacerbate urban heat around my area. And again, increasing my energy cooling expenses.
6. The Management of the Norfolk Pine trees.
They are planning to remove some of these trees, which all hold heritage and ecological value . According to the EIS (document 251002_EIS-156-164 Ocean St Narrabeen, page 1 ) The First Nation group who were consulted on the site advised they were increasingly important to Indigenous peoples as Local identifiers for the community.
The ones to be keep are having ground excavation work completed to close to their root system and will most likely slowly die and need to be removed. The Arborist on his report expressed concern the remaining trees would have a moderate to high rate of dying. This will impact me living so close to them and I have safety concerns of them falling over when dying off in times of huge windstorms.
These trees create impact in my view and visual privacy. If removed erodes the landscape character and natural setting of the area for the sake of the proposed building and garden design.
MY SOLUTION SUGGESTIONS: -
OVERSHADOWING /SUNLIGHT
New plans reducing the height of the building to SEPP requirements with adequate setbacks greater than 7.1m and tiered higher levels.
BULK AND SIZE
New plans reducing the height and bulky width of the building. This would come in with the accordance of the street scape of the Narrabeen Peninsula. This would increase the user-friendly look of the project that would appeal more to prospective clients to buy into Indigo.
INCREASE PRIVACY TO OUR UNIT
New plans to reduce the oversized south facing balconies on the Ocean Street frontage units and make setbacks compliant under SEPP.
New plans to reduce the height of the development to SEPP compliant building height. Downsize the courtyard space to provide a more sympathic design to SEPP setbacks.
TRAFFIC AND PARKING
New plans for the construction phase to increase parking for Tradies and large trucks. This could include use of the land along Octavia Street as a car parking area until the basement is completed.
New Plans redesigning the basement car parking levels to include full two car spaces and storage.
To provide new plans for an increase in Visitors and staff basement parking.
To retain the current bus stop location, to minimize loss of street parking and maintain convenience for residents.
LANDSCAPE AND NORFOLK PINES
We need new plans from the developers that are in alignment with the Arborist report, to look at saving these Norfolk pines and soil volume.
CONCLUSION
Overall, I am in favour of a Retirement Village development on this site next to my home. I do not support this DA for Indigo by Moran Seniors Living Development SSD-76220734. I request that the application be reviewed considering all the submissions recommendations. That it's reviewed in the light of compliance with EXISTING SEPP conditions and other government bodies to achieve a harmonious outcome for the Narrabeen Peninsula.

Thank you for reading this report.
Deborah Inkster