D/2016/1109
Address
28 Cowper Street GLEBE NSW 2037, 8 Elger Street GLEBE NSW 2037
DA Submission on behalf of the Hands off Glebe Group
Introduction:
It is well known to the Council that we have opposed this development from the start believing it to be an expression of the Government’s and to some degree the council’s abnegation of their duty to look after the housing of those in lower income groups. We believe that spurred on by neo liberalism the Government is willing to sell every asset it can to the detriment of the people. All that remains now is for us to modify the relentless motion to make as much money as possible and for the corporation involved to go on to their next heist.
While the whole project has been laughingly called the Glebe Affordable Housing Project this part of the project is the least affordable making it the section where the private owners can buy and the developer make a ‘killing’. By the way in a nearby street in a private building people are paying $1200 a week for a modest flat who can pay these prices?
Size and Scale of the building
The building is not set back from the street but goes right up to the footpath making the building envelope far too big for the site. We would urge that the building be set back from the street with some vegetation to break up the scale of the building.
There is no sympathy with the proposed development and the area to the west of Cowper Street. The proposed development will engulf the area, overshadow, overlook and generally oppress the existing residential habitus.
Heritage
We have read the heritage report with extreme disbelief as we see the consultants saying the development fits into the area very snugly or words to that effect. How can a building such height be a good fit for the houses opposite? These Victorian Terraces on West side of Cowper Street will be completely overwhelmed by this building. While we are not asking for a 2016 version of Victorian Terraces we are asking for some consideration for the area and some decrease in size and scale so as not to overwhelm the other side of the street.
The Council talks of a city of villages and in particular developers talk about the Glebe Village ‘feel’ of the area yet time and time again the council allows the ‘stack em and pack em’ approach we are all too familiar with. Our ‘village’ is about to become a canyon country with deep wind tunnels passing through our area with the laughable self-granted title by developers of sensitive development. We call on the council to lessen these buildings along the lines of reasonable sensitivity to the area.
Traffic Report ARUP TRANSPORT IMPACT ASSESSMENT
The traffic report seems extremely inaccurate with numbers of cars at certain times unbelievably low. It does not take into account the school, the universities and the major Broadway shopping Centre which make for a constant flow of many cars for a major part of each day 7 days a week. The traffic flow chart ignores the plea we put into the council a year ago.
see below
APPEAL BY GLEBE RESIDENTS
Stop traffic increases in Bay, Cowper and Wentworth Streets
To: The Lord Mayor and City of Sydney Councilors and to Central Sydney Planning Committee members
The new developments at Cowper Street and 87 Bay Street will bring 700 new apartments into our area, increasing traffic. Elger Street, which has been a dead end, will be pushed through to Bay Street. Wentworth Street will be widened and may become two way instead of the current one way street. These changes will bring a massive increase in traffic, especially during peak periods and holiday shopping times like Christmas for the Broadway Shopping Centre.
We call on City of Sydney and the Central Sydney Planning Committee to:
- Keep Wentworth Street one way between Cowper and Bay Streets
- Close Elger Street near Bay Street
Name …………………………………………………………………………………..
Address ………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………….….
Signature ………………………………………………………………………………
Please sign this letter and stand up for the peace and security that exists here at the moment. Increased traffic down these quiet streets will result in risk to the elderly and the very young.
We must not let new developments infringe on our community amenities and quality of life.
The Hands off Glebe group will collect these forms from those addresses and approach the City of Sydney and the Central Sydney Planning Committee.
The traffic report does not keep Elger a one way street or Wentworth St. Instead it ignores the knock on effect of these streets once the developments are fully finished. There will be a serious blockage at the end of Cowper St near Glebe Pt Rd, and there is the possibility of ‘rat runs’ moving a lot of traffic through otherwise peaceful streets upsetting the amenity of the residents of the Estate.
We call on council to impose a traffic plan for the benefit of the residents of Glebe rather than for the convenience of developers.
The modification of the plan
Normally modification indicates a lessening of something but in building terms it is an old trick to pack and stack as many units as possible in a limited space. We have witnessed this technique of developers to come back to council for ‘modifications’ ie meaning more levels and higher buildings. We call on council to reject this ‘modification’ and maintain the agreed to heights and numbers of units.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Signed Denis Doherty for Hands off Glebe