Responseto:ArncliffeandBanksiaPrecinctProposal,November2016MysituationI’velivedinKnightSt,Arncliffe,sinceIboughtahousetherewithmywife19yearsago.ItisoneofasmallnumberofVictorianerabuildingsinourvicinity.OurpropertyislocatedontheBanksiaRidgewithviewstotheeastacrossBotanyBayaswellasthesouthandwest.ViewsTheseviewsaresharedbymostoftheresidentson:

• bothsidesofKnightStbetweenRailwayStandWithersSt• thesouthernsideofKnightStfromWithersStwesttoForestRd• AtkinsonSt,BayviewSt,MountSt• theeasternsideofForestRdinthisvicinity.

IhavereadtheArncliffeandBanksiaPrecinctProposal,andIamconcernedaboutthenegativeimpacttheproposedchangesnearBanksiaStationwillhaveonoursuburb,ourneighboursandourhome.Theproposalacknowledgestheimportanceofmaintaininglocalviewcorridors(Section3.5,p.16)andthenegativeheritageimpactsofobscuringthem.TheBanksia/ForestRdRidgeisoflocalhistoricalsignificance.CaptainCookclimbeduptothisridgein1770toviewthelocalarea.Aphotooftheviewfromourproperty:

CurrentbuildingheightsInthephotoabove,BanksiaStationisintheforegroundandbehinditisa6storeyblockofunitslocatedinBanksiaAve,Banksia.BotanyBayiseasilyseen.This6storeyblockofunitsisrelativelyunobtrusive,andtheelevationofBanksiaAve(12.77m)islowerthanthatofHattersleySt(14.56m).ThecurrentLEPhasaheightrestrictionof14.9minHattersleyStadjacenttoBanksiaStation(Figure7:ExistingheightControls–RockdaleLEP2011,p.10).ConflictingproposalsaboutbuildingheightsBecausetheProposalcontainsconflictinginformationabouttheheightsfordevelopmentsinHattersleySt,BanksiaadjacenttoBanksiaStation,Iamconcernedthatbadinformationwillleadtoabaddecisionthatwillreducetheamenityofthisarea.ThefollowingtablesummarisestheproposalsfortheHattersleyStblock:

Source Numberofstoreys Heightaboveground

Section4.3,Figure19,p.23

6storeyand10storey(2towers)

22mand34m(2towers)(calculated)

TheBuiltFormPlan(Figure22,p.25)

12storeyHighriseapartments

40m(calculated)

Figure26onp.31(proposedbuildingheights–Banksia)

8storey(calculated)

28m

Incalculatingtheapproximateheightsornumberofstoreys,Ihaveallowedagroundfloor7mfloortoceilingheight(Section4.3,p.24)andfollowedindustrystandardsthatsuggestthatyouallow3mperstoreyinaresidentialdevelopment.Thisdoesnottakeintoaccounttheminimum0.5m‘freeboard’abovethe1:100floodheight(Section3.4,p.15),whichcanbeseensurroundingtheHattersleyStblock(Figure12,p.16).DifficultyrespondingduetolackofclarityWhoknowswhatistrulyproposedfortheHattersleyStblock,nexttoBanksiaStation?ThePrecinctProposalhasobscuredthatinformation.However,alloftheaboveproposalswillhaveasignificantimpactontheviewsfromourpropertyandthemajorityofotherresident’sproperties(intheareasoutlinedabove).Itisclearfromthephotoabovethatthemid-pointoftheviewcorridortoBotanyBayisacrossBanksiaStation.Anydevelopmentabove6storeys(acalculatedbuildingheightof22m)willobstructthecentreoftheviewacrossBotanyBayfromallofourpropertiesandwillhaveahugeimpactontheamenityandambienceoftheareaforasignificantnumberofresidents.TheBanksia/ForestRdRidgeisoflocalhistoricalsignificance.CaptainCookclimbeduptothisridgein1770toviewthelocalarea.Obscuringthisoutlookbyconstructinghighbuildingsthatdisregardthe

heritageofthisareameansthishistoricalviewwillbelostforever.ConclusionMaybetherewillbeawell-planneddevelopment,withqualitybuildingsofanappropriateheight,thataresympathetictoourareaandpreservethehistory,heritageandamenitythatmakeourareasoappealingtolivein.IfthecurrentProposalfortheHattersleyStblockisfollowed,Iamconcernedthatwewillenduplivingbehindawallofpoorqualitytowersthatobscurehistoricalviews,andvastlydiminishthecurrentamenityofthearea.Specifically,IproposethatanyfuturedevelopmentinHattersleySt,Banksia,andtheareaadjacenttoBanksiastation,andonthePrincesHighwayinthisvicinitybelimitedtoa6storeymaximum.Thisminorrestrictionwillpreservetheviewsinourareaforallexistingresidents,andwillbetterallowthecreationof‘vibrant,attractiveandconnected’community,‘wherepeoplecanliveandworkwithgoodaccesstopublictransport,communityfacilities,openspace,shopsandcafes.’(Proposal,p.2)DavidSteele