Monday, March 25, 2013
Annual General Meeting
Some 80 residents attended the BCCT's Annual General Meeting on 25 March at the Cheltenham Recreation Club.
MP Greg Smith came and attempted to explain why the Liberal Government is going ahead with the single decker narrow tunnel solution for the North West Rail Link, though not all were convinced.
Councillors Robert Browne, Michael Hutchence, Bernadette Azzizi, and Mick Gallagher attended.
James Farrington and two members of the planning group at Hornsby Shire Council gave a presentation on the DCP and what we can expect when the Beecroft Shopping Village is developed. There were many unanswered questions, particularly about parking requirements for shoppers and conflicts with rail commuters who park around the village.
The present committee members were all reelected except for David Clark who did not stand for re-election, and Colin Johnstone was elected in his place.
MP Greg Smith came and attempted to explain why the Liberal Government is going ahead with the single decker narrow tunnel solution for the North West Rail Link, though not all were convinced.
Councillors Robert Browne, Michael Hutchence, Bernadette Azzizi, and Mick Gallagher attended.
James Farrington and two members of the planning group at Hornsby Shire Council gave a presentation on the DCP and what we can expect when the Beecroft Shopping Village is developed. There were many unanswered questions, particularly about parking requirements for shoppers and conflicts with rail commuters who park around the village.
The present committee members were all reelected except for David Clark who did not stand for re-election, and Colin Johnstone was elected in his place.
NWRL Presentation By Eco Transit
The Trust has arranged a presentation by Eco Transit at the Cheltenham Recreation Club on Monday 29 April starting 7pm, to show Eco Transit's email criticising the State Government's plan to go "single decker" using narrow diameter tunnels for the North West Rail Link. All welcome, come and hear what is happening in your state and consider!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Pools to ponds - Free Seminar 24th March
If you have an unwanted or unused swimming pool in your backyard this could be the program for you. Why not join other pool to pond converts and go with an eco-friendly, cost effective alternative that promotes biodiversity?
Ku-ring-gai Council has assisted local residents in converting their unwanted swimming pools into ponds since 2007 by supplying native fish, aquatic plants and technical advice for the conversion. This is now open to Hornsby Council residents so come along to this seminar and find out more.
Venue: Council Chambers
Location: 296 Pacific Highway, Hornsby
Time: 10-11.30am
Cost: Free / just turn up
Contact: Danielle
Phone: 9847 6832
stay for a cuppa and a chat afterwards
Ku-ring-gai Council has assisted local residents in converting their unwanted swimming pools into ponds since 2007 by supplying native fish, aquatic plants and technical advice for the conversion. This is now open to Hornsby Council residents so come along to this seminar and find out more.
Venue: Council Chambers
Location: 296 Pacific Highway, Hornsby
Time: 10-11.30am
Cost: Free / just turn up
Contact: Danielle
Phone: 9847 6832
stay for a cuppa and a chat afterwards
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
ETTT Information Sessions
The ETTT invites you to Community Information meetings:
Saturday 6 April 10:00am to 12:00 noon, Beecroft Station Gardens (adjacent to the playground) and
Tuesday 9 April 5pm to 7pm Cheltenham Recreation Club 60-74 The Crescent Cheltenham.
Saturday 6 April 10:00am to 12:00 noon, Beecroft Station Gardens (adjacent to the playground) and
Tuesday 9 April 5pm to 7pm Cheltenham Recreation Club 60-74 The Crescent Cheltenham.
Module DA Speakers at BCCT AGM
The Module DA agents who had proposed to give a presentation at the AGM (as in our last bulletin) now apologise that they are not ready to do this yet. Instead we have arranged two speakers from the HSC Planning Department to speak about the Development Control Plan, and will hold a Special General Meeting later in the year when the Module DA people are ready to speak.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Review of Tree Preservation Order - BCCT Letter to HSC
The General Manager
Hornsby Shire Council
PO Box 37
Hornsby NSW 1630
Attention Mr Peter Kemp
Manager Parks & Recreation
Re Review of Tree Preservation Order
Dear Sir,
The Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust wishes to thank Council for the opportunity to be involved in the review of the current Tree Preservation Order.
The Trust acknowledges that whilst a large portion of the 2119 post code area enjoys protection of all trees located in the Heritage Conservation Area we still have concerns with regard to the removal of trees throughout the Shire that are not indigenous to overall LGA.
Our concerns are:
- Tree removal due to deliberate wrongful identification of tree species to gain a favourable outcome e.g a Blue gum or Blackbutt identified prior to removal as a Lemon Scented Gum or Spotted Gum. The Trust sees the only way to address this problem is that all trees are protected until either the Council or an authorised Registered Consultant Arborist recommend removal. The cost of the identification / inspection should be paid by the applicant.
- Large healthy mature trees for example Oak, Elm, Liquidambar and Cedrus that make a significant contribution to the landscape amenity within a neighbourhood can be removed without consent whilst a short lived Green Wattle growing near by requires consent to be removed.
- The removal of trees not indigenous to the Hornsby Shire results in loss of habitat, feeding opportunities for native birds especially those of the parrot family, reduced solar control, and loss of seasonal variation throughout our urban and rural communities.
- The BCCT suggests that Council give consideration to a two part TPO. One section covering the rural areas within the shire and another for the urban precincts within the Hornsby LGA.
The Trust urges Council to consider adopting the Ku- ring- gai Council model that a development should support a specific number of trees based on the lot area. Preference should be given to planting species indigenous to the locality. This should also apply to development sites where trees are approved for removal as it would ensure that suitable replacements are planted to offset tree loss.
As a result of community feedback since the introduction of the current TPO the Trust is of the view that all trees irrespective of species growing throughout the Shire that display mature adult characteristics that are considered to be in good condition and make a contribution to the landscape and visual amenity within the locality should be preserved.
In conclusion the BCCT urges Council to give serious consideration to the matters raised with regard to preserving this valuable asset, which is enjoyed by our residents, friends and visitors to Hornsby Shire.
Yours faithfully,
Secretary
BCCT
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
DA 38/2013 Corner Chapman / Wongala
To General Manager Hornsby Shire
Council
Copies: Hon Mayor, Robert Browne,
C Ward Councillors.
DA
38/2013 Proposed development Wongala Crescent - Chapman Ave Beecroft
We write in relation
to the above mentioned development application. After careful review of
the plans and details submitted with the development application, we have
reached the opinion that the development is not compatible with either the Hornsby Council DCP Part 3: Heritage
Precinct Development, or accepted engineering standards.
Based on this review
the Trust strongly objects to the
proposed development for 36 units at the corner of Chapman Avenue and
Wongala Crescent, Beecroft.
The following paragraphs
outline specific examples where in our opinion the development proposal is
deficient:
Rear Setback
Provisions
The development
proposal appears confused in relation to the designation of the property
boundaries. Initially it appears that the applicant considers Wongala
Crescent to be a front boundary and the western boundary, perpendicular to
Chapman Avenue as the rear boundary.
However, in
calculating the boundary setbacks it appears that the western boundary becomes
a side boundary.
The basis of this
interpretation is the applicant’s documentation. The applicant assumes
that any future development to the west of the subject site will consider the
western boundary to be a side boundary, and therefore the applicant is entitled
to also assume this boundary as a site boundary.
As a result of this
interpretation the applicant attempts to gain an additional developable area of
120 m2 (3m x 40 m).
A review of the
aforementioned DCP indicates the definition of a front and rear boundary.
In our opinion there
is no ambiguity in the DCP, the western
boundary is the rear boundary.
As a result of the
boundary re-interpretation the desired outcome of the DCP, to achieve a
“Pedestrian friendly scale, adequate landscaping, open space and separation
between buildings”, is compromised and inconstant with the prescriptive
controls. We are unable to locate any reasonable justification within the development
submission which supports the Applicant’s boundary interpretation. Instead we consider the proposal to be a blatant misinterpretation of the
planning controls.
Similarly, we have
also reviewed the setback control provisions for the basement parking areas,
which indicate that rather than providing a 9m setback the applicant is
proposing a 4m setback.
The setback
provisions for a rear boundary were nominated within the DCP for a reason and should not be compromised.
Side Setback to Chapman
Avenue
The DCP is very
specific in that “regardless of the setbacks specified in the above table,
all buildings and structures should be setback a minimum of 10 m from Chapman
Avenue”. The applicant has setback the 2 levels of underground parking at
only 4 metres. The Trust considers the setback requirements for Chapman Ave specified
in the DCP as essential. The underground or basement parking is defined as a
structure. Therefore the applicant has not satisfied the DCP requirements at
all for Chapman Avenue. This is another serious breach of the controls.
The Trust also
wishes to remind Council that it entered into lengthy debates with the local
residents in Chapman Ave over the housing strategy and the agreed compromise
was a 10 metre setback that could not be
varied. Relaxing this prescriptive measure by a massive 250% from 10 metres
down to 4 metres is unacceptable and if permitted would create an undesirable
precedent for other unit development along the full length of Chapman Ave
The 10 m setback for structures is to allow separation between the low density
residential development in a heritage precinct on the northern side of Chapman
Avenue from the 5 storey development across the street, and to allow a visual
separation in the streetscape with substantial deep soil planting for permanent
street trees.
In fact the existing
trees fronting Chapman Avenue including a Sydney Blue Gum will not survive
because there will be major excavation within their root zones.
Front setback to
Wongala Crescent
The DCP clearly
states that balconies can encroach into the front 12 metre setback up to 9
metres from the front boundary. The balcony for unit 5 on each level encroaches
within 7.5 metres of the front boundary. This major encroachment is a significant non-compliance that is
unacceptable.
Housing choice
The proposed
development fails to satisfy the desired outcome of providing a minimum of 10%
of each unit type. There are only two 3BR units proposed rather than the
four required by the DCP. Having a dominance of 2 BR units indicates that
the applicant is not providing sufficient housing choice but instead seeking to maximise his financial return,
at the expense of the DCP controls.
Site Requirements on
consolidated developments
The prescriptive
measures state a minimum street frontage of 30 metres for development sites. If
an adjoining site is compromised then applicants must demonstrate that orderly
and economic development can be achieved on the adjoining sites.
The subject site
abuts two residential zoned properties to the south being 23 and 23a Wongala
Crescent. These properties are wedged between the subject site and the
Beecroft Arcade. which has a commercial zoning. Unless Council amend the
zoning boundaries it will not be possible to develop in isolation 23 and 23a
Wongala Crescent, as they do not have a street frontage of 30m.
The applicant
appears to have ignored these adjoining properties, which is contrary to the
aforementioned prescriptive measures. We understand that the applicant has not
approached the owners of either 23 or 23a Wongala Crescent Development with the
intention of site amalgamation.
Therefore the Trust
strongly requests that the applicant must at the very minimum demonstrate that he has approached the
adjoining owner seeking a consolidated site.
Similarly with the
adjoining site facing Chapman Ave to the west of the subject site. There is
significant vegetation on this adjoining site and any development on it will
require an integrated approach with the subject site in order to best achieve
the Housing Strategy’s objectives. The Beecroft Road Precinct (residential
portion) key principles diagram clearly indicates how the various lots should
be consolidated in order to achieve the key elements, such as the integrated
landscape setting. In fact to permit the subject site to proceed independently
has the potential to make the precinct plan fail.
The applicant must
demonstrate how the current proposal does not adversely impact on the
precinct’s key principles. To date he has simply stated ‘not applicable’
in his SEE. The Trust regards the
applicant’s clear disregard of the key principles plan as a very serious matter,
that if not properly addressed could jeopardise the implementation of the key
principles of the residential precinct.
Access
1. Following on from
the matter of site requirements and consolidation, access onto Wongala Crescent
is located fairly close to the Chapman Avenue intersection and is likely to
develop into a road safety issue with school children attending Arden
School.
2. If 23 Wongala Cres
is not consolidated into the subject site then Wongala Cres will end up having
two driveways at 23 and another at 25 Wongala Cres as a minimum.
3. In fact for any
independent development at 23 Wongala Cres its frontage will be only wide
enough to serve as a driveway to any development located in the rear. This is
not acceptable and is contrary to the DCP controls.
Stormwater design
We have reviewed the
stormwater concept plans which provide an overview of the design
intention. Whilst we appreciate that the plans are only concept, we are
concerned that they have been prepared without due regard for the proposed site
topography, existing vegetation or generally accepted engineering principles.
The
following details our concerns:
1. There is no
provision of overland flow from Chapman Avenue which has a documented local
flooding problem.
2. The adjustment of
the existing ground levels in the south western corner of the site by
approximately 800mm and the location of new stormwater drainage infrastructure
appears to ignore the presence of existing trees which are nominated on
the landscape drawing LPDA 13 - 107 as being retained. What
strategies are proposed to maintain these trees both during and after construction?
3. The drainage pit in
the south western corner is nominated on the storm water concept plan as being
at RL 142.00, which is the lowest surface level on site. Whilst the surface
level of the pit in Wongala Crescent is at a similar same level being RL
141.98. It would appear that any blockage in Wongala Crescent would
surcharge at the pit in the south western corner.
We note that there
is provision for an overland flow path from this pit to Wongala Crescent.
However, based on the surface levels provided we are unclear how a gravity
drainage solution is achieved.
4. The proposed 375mm
storm water main in Wongala Crescent does not appear to nominate protection to
street trees or coordination with other services installed within the Wongala
Crescent. Further it is unclear if it is possible to provide a gravity
drainage connection across the Wongala Crescent footpath based on the presence
of other authorities’ infrastructure.
5. The proposed
detention basin at the south eastern corner appears to have minimal soil cover
of about 300mm. This is insufficient for the permanent retention of grass.
6. The proposed
rainwater tank appears to be installed within the driveway with a sloping
concrete lid. In the event of a surcharge from the tank it is unclear how
water would be directed away from driveway which leads to the basement car parking
areas.
Landscaping.
1. The plan indicates
an open space area in the south western corner of the site that is also to work
as a detention basin. The plans indicate at least 800 mm of excavation around
the existing trees. This does not work and it is difficult to see how the
existing trees can be retained.
2. The plans indicate
that along Chapman Avenue there will be private open space above the basement
car park. Therefore there is insufficient open space for screening.
The residents of Beecroft were assured that there would be a 10 metre setback
to allow for, amongst other matters, the opportunity for a decent vegetation
screening. The end result of the
plan is that the intent of the 10 metre setback is negated. This is not
acceptable.
3. There are no details
of additional street plantings and no attempt to improve the streetscape along
Chapman Ave.
4. The protection of
the existing trees along Chapman Avenue, including a Sydney Blue Gum, appears
to be compromised by the excavation of the basement car park and construction
of the boundary fence.
5. How are trees 27,
23, 24 and 21 to be retained and protected when the ground levels are modified
Shadow
Diagrams
The communal area is
located at the south western corner of the site. The Trust questions
whether the area will actually achieve the minimum 2 hours of sunlight each day
in mid winter.
Top Floor treatment
The top floor patios
do not really achieve anything. They appear to be an afterthought with poor
amenity with the appearance of a desert of paving in a barren roof-scape. More
thought should go into their function and purpose.
Privacy
There is no
information addressing privacy with the use of shutters or louvres. There is no
mention of louvre screening on the eastern elevation, on the western elevation
there is a vague reference, while there are no details for the western
elevation. Full details are essential in order to lock in any future
developer. Any plans approved by council must provide full details of
exterior wall treatments so the details are locked in.
Articulation
There are no details
about the materials to be used on the exterior walls. More information is required.
As stated above, any approved plans must provide full details of the treatment
of exterior walls so details are part of the DA consent. Otherwise council will
have no control over the finished product.
The architectural
plans must specifically nominate that the louvre shutters graphically shown are
exactly that and that they are fully operable and extendable / retractable
and therefore able to comply with the intention of the DCP to provide
operable privacy and shading devices as well as façade aesthetic
modulation
Floorplates and
separations.
There is no
separation in the basement levels for deep soil planting. The DCP clearly
states with supporting diagrams that a minimum of 6m x 6m is required with no
basement. This is a serious omission that is not even commented on in the
SEE.
Draft LEP 2013
The Trust notes that
council’s DLEP 2013 went on public exhibition last year. Under the provisions
of the EPAA these draft controls must be considered in the DA assessment. One
of the draft controls relevant to this proposed development is the Floor Space
Ratio (FSR). The DLEP 2013 states that the maximum FSR is 1:1. The DLEP
also describes how the FSR is to be calculated. The Trust’s calculations
indicate a FSR for the proposed development of over 1.4:1. This
represents a clear over development of
the site by 40%, while the SEE is silent on the FSR. Any development
of this magnitude on this small undersized development site will set an
unacceptable precedent for the rest of the Precinct.
Conclusion
In summary the
Trust’s concerns are so serious that we seek Council’s absolute rejection of DA 38/2013. The applicant’s dismissive
interpretation of Council’s DCP and DLEP2013 leaves a lot to be desired with
the over-development of the site.
This
is the first DA lodged under the recently approved Housing Strategy and if not
rejected outright by council it has the potential to create undesirable
precedents that would seriously compromise future development at Beecroft and
render many of the precinct’s key principles unachievable.
Yours sincerely,
Secretary
Beecroft Cheltenham Civic
Trust
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