PlanningAlerts

44 Comments

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1. Definitely NOT... There is way too much over development as it is in the area with little or no upgrade to services or green spaces. The addition of this nightmare at that location will only add to an already further congested traffic for the area. The roads are already becoming a rat run. I do not support this development.

2. I strongly oppose this development. There is no capacity for existing infrastructure to absorb this and no ability to scale to meet the need given the constraints of the site and suburb and the education precinct next door.

   While I support affordable housing, I also question the location of a large boarding house next to the education precinct.

   Please listen to the existing residents for once and block this type of development. That space could be redeveloped into a much more appropriate medium density residential and commercial mix and still be profitable.

3. I agree with the comment above and would also add real concern over the 162 room boarding house. The new education precinct is very close by and there is going to be a lot of extra traffic with parents dropping children off to school, I do not think it would be suitable place for a boarding house.

4. I agree with all the comments above. Meadowbank is already over crowded with developments. The roads need improvement; the train system is infrequent for the amount of commuters and more apartments will further problems with this situation.

   Whomever has the last decision in this should really listen to the community and take action to not allow anymore residential developments in Meadowbank until they make improvements on the I frastructure to support the planned growth in the suburb.

   I would really be disappointed if this planned development was to go ahead.

5. Social housing is important in a diverse community. This developmenthowever is pushing the envelope for commercial gain in an overdeveloped section of Sydney.

   While close to public transport links, the impact on the local amenity, due to cars from this proposal, will increase the burden that local residents face with the present poorly designed road network.

   Too much development with no local improvements to infrastructure. Listen to the residents who have to live with this.

6. I strongly object to this proposed development. Meadowbank is already hugely over developed with highly congested roads and simply cannot accommodate yet another monstrous development.

7. Speaking as someone who actually lives in the area, i definitely support this DA as it will provide a much needed boost to the railway station precinct, a proper supermarket (which will help take cars off the road going to Top Ryde), and some shops for locals. I believe this develop to be consistent with the needs of the community, as outlined in the meadowbank education precinct to upgrade the commercial area around the station.

8. We are totally opposed to the above development on the following grounds:
   -SIZE-It is an over development of a size and concentration which will have a detrimental impact upon the local area. The development will have an imposing impact on the skyline and will dominate the area.
   -ROADS/TRAFFIC/PARKING- The current road structure is fragile with constant congestion and carries a burden from 'rat runners' using the area as a shortcut.The addition of parking of 419 cars will only make the situation untenable.
   The Transport Planning Summary states "Although it is difficult to predict what measures might be achievable until the building is occupied, the above paragraphs provide a framework for the development and implementation of a future travel plan for the site.
   On the basis of all such measures being fully incorporated into the development, it is anticipated that the subject site would generate significantly less traffic than other mixed-use development sites in the vicinity. Subsequently, this would have the positive effect in reducing the traffic impact associated with the proposed development on the surrounding road network."
   The report admits they do not know the impact upon travel plan for the site and rests on the premise that it will be better than other mixed use developments. This provides no confidence as to the adverse impact the development will have, let alone the impact of the school and TAFE changes.
   The area already has street parking problems and this development will make parking impossible. Many TAFE students drive because of varying work locations and need to carry tools and need parking to attend TAFE.
   -RETAIL- Given that the two major retail stores in Meadowbank have closed, ie Aldi and Fruit Market, one has to question the need for retail, given that two major shopping centres, Top Ryde and Rhodes exist within 1-2klms.
   -BOARDING HOUSE- The development of a Boarding House is not in keeping with the housing arrangements in the area which is family orientated and no case has been made out for such a use.
   SUMMARY - The proposal is an over development in a suburb with a fragile infrastructure that justified a recent freeze on development for good reason. If it proceeds it will see the amenity of the community deteriorate. The area has already seen massive development and needs to cope with the existing situation together with the new TAFE proposal.

9. As a local resident I strongly object to this development. It is totally inappropriate to locate a boarding house in a family area next to a large educational precinct.
   The area is also already overdeveloped. The addition of so many extra cars on the already congested roads is untenable.

10. I find it utterly incomprehensible that this development was even allowed to reach this stage. As a woman and an owner resident in Meadowbank I rather enjoy the fact that I feel relatively safe walking home if I get either the train or the bus home. I certainly wouldn’t if a ‘boarding house’ was right next to my preferred transport. We are talking potentially about some 'residents' of the boarding house that may be rapists, paedophiles, muggers etc that have been convicted of their crimes looking to rehabilitate. I completely understand their right to a new start after they have served their time but not opposite a children’s area or next to a residential transport hub. The Council seems to agree given you have made a lot of references to safety protocols in your plans for that development. In the next few years the area next to the station will be an Education Precinct. There will be a lot of children in that precinct. Unbelievable. I assume men won’t feel particularly safe either but I can definitely say women and children won’t. Reject this bid.

11. A boarding house development, within an education precinct, thus presenting an opportunity for “stranger danger?" NO!
    Such an inappropriate development should not be considered for this education precinct location.

    Furthermore, this inappropriate development is proposed for an area that is already highly congested and overdeveloped.

12. Wow, we're really going for the 'undesirables' angle here? You do know that there's already a boarding house on Bank st, right? People deserve more affordable housing options, many of those on low income do not have the means to own a car, therefore proximity to public transport is of great importance. Also I would have thought affordable accommodation for tertiary students (lets not forget that the education precinct includes TAFE) would be beneficial. Many boarding house residents are just ordinary people who find it difficult to afford traditional rents, or whose lifestyle is better suited to shared accommodation.

    Do a Google search for The Conversation's article "Don’t fear boarding houses: they’re probably not what you think". Modern boarding house developments have more in common with micro apartments.

    Nobody has to love this proposal (lets be fair, there has been a lot of development in the area recently, although this revised proposal's 6-7 storeys is in keeping with existing developments on the road). But no need to stoke unfounded fears.

    Also the station could benefit from more retail options provided by this development. The IGA lacks variety, especially in fresh produce, and Top Ryde and Rhodes are not convenient for those who rely on public transport.

13. Nadine A has made some excellent points. Well reasoned, well supported and balanced argument. Breath of fresh air.

    As she says though, no one has to love this proposal but as some have done, resorting to unfounded scaremongering is a nasty game. We need to stick to evidence.

    Traffic impacts.
    Height and density in station precinct.
    Overshadowing.

14. There is a reason the standard photo they showed in nearly every Sydney Morning Herald article about over-development for the last 5 years was Meadowbank. It wasn't because it's been a well planned suburb.

    The reality is Meadowbank has been severely over developed over the past 15 years with no meaningful infrastructure investment to offset it and no live integrated plan to even identify the need for infrastructure. In fact the only significant infrastructure built recently was to address the fact that continued poor planning lead to issues with the Water supply to the Suburb.

    Please do no rely on the Developer's assessment. You just need to look at publicly available data on Meadowbank. It's all out there - roads are overloaded, rail is at up to 180% capacity at peak, vacancy rates are high, property prices are down, and severe building compliance issues are common and widely reported. This is all a google search away.

    However once again we see the facts ignored with a development going for approval based on an an assessment that specifically does not need to refer to any other development either completed or approved. If all development in the area was assessed in an integrated way the true picture of the impacts could be understood, but this has never occurred for the suburb or surrounding area. I know because I have read every major DA for the past 10 years.

    The result of this system is that virtually no individual development ever makes a big enough impact to be stopped in the eyes of the planning authorities and so the collective impact is never recognized. How can planning occur when every decision is taken in isolation?

    I'll also address other supposedly positive aspects of the development, starting with the additional Retail. As the planning panel would know there is already a Woolworths planned for the Suburb, and both Rhodes (and West Ryde) are 2 minutes by train with Rhodes having a large retail space directly in front of the station opening soon. So this is no argument in its favor and was at best a very weak one.

    Finally while affordable housing is fine in theory, I would question the need for it given that the Holdmark development is still half empty and that rents are dropping and will likely continue to drop for at least the next couple of years while International travel is limited. It also needs to be pointed out that the Bank st Boarding House ended up been an incredibly poor quality eye sore. Despite media spin and some exceptions, this is the common result of Boarding house developments since the government incentives which encourage cramming as many rooms as possible in were introduced. This needs to be addressed if this part of the development proceedes.

    I would finally also like to highlight it is now 15 years of heavy development in the suburb. It is all well and good to expect residents to live with jackhammers and heavy trucks for a year or two, but after 10+ years they are due a reprieve.

    Only those with the commercial motivation to ignore reality at the expense of the local residents would support a development of this magnitude. The actual residents of Meadowbank are sick and tired of it.

15. This scope of this proposal does not consider transportation and accessibility within the Meadowbank area. Constitution Road is already severely congested within peak hours and has poor walking accessibility, with limited scope to expand the pathway to the station.

    Pre COVID-19, the T9 Northern Line already experienced congestion by the time trains approached Meadowbank, and offered an unsatisfactory 15min frequency, and is extremely slow on approach to stations such as Strathfield and Central. Prior to any further development, this train line should be converted to a single deck, high frequency metro that will be able to seamlessly integrate with the future Metro West at North Strathfield, as well as the Metro Northwest at Epping. The existing, double deck trains with limited doors are simply not fit for purpose in suburban areas, particularly areas such as Meadowbank and Rhodes.

    A redevelopment of the commercial precinct around the station would be very welcome, particularly through development of a major supermarket + amenities such as gyms/cafes. This would reduce the need to commute by car to West Ryde, Top Ryde or Rhodes. The existing Shepherd's Bay Plaza is quite unsatisfactory, and is not well maintained nor has access to quality amenities.

    However, there is absolutely no need for further residential development in Meadowbank, there is already plenty of supply within the suburb. Any further residential development will simply add to the traffic and train congestion, and there does not seem to be any scope to improve both of these aspects.

16. The proposal is inappropriate for this area.
    According to my observation, more than 30 percent of the new buildings in the area is not occupied, with the economic damage caused by the COVID19, there is no way we can digest the number of units proposed.
    Traffic around the proposed site is already horrendous, especially during peak hours. Streets and roads around the area have zero feasibility of being upgraded. A development of this size would only cause serious trouble.
    Public transport is not frequent enough, and capacity is very close to its limit, getting on a train at peak hours is becoming a mission impossible.
    And I DO NOT want a boarding house next door! It is not in line with the 200m investment in the education precinct.
    I understand the council needs the project to create jobs, but there are other options. Use this as an opportunity, invest in workspaces and business where students from TAFE can try their hands on after school, in new technology areas so we can actually attract well-educated people to the area. This is the secret of prosperity. Not a million units with renters who drink days and nights and steal things.

17. When I say people that I live in Meadowbank, the first thing they say is that "its like a legoworld" and the Ryde council had made very efforts to make it look like that. Just look at Rhodes and Meadowbank, you will see the difference. Even though Rhodes has high rise apartments, it has well maintained roads, parks, parking places, shopping centre. But when you come to Meadowbank its just like blocks of houses placed on top of each other. Most of the apartments build in Meadowbank lacks in quality has been built by substandard builder who after completing the project just fix 1 lane of the road as if the other lane was not broken due to their construction work. I don't understand how the Ryde council can't see all these cheap works done by builders. The council can't even fix the solar lights on the Meadowbank walking tracks which rarely works. Another development of this magnitude is just a blunder. The roads are congested, trains packed and still they come up with new development projects without even fixing the existing issues. Just learn something from city of Canada Bay on how they have maintained Rhodes and try to implement something similar. Meadowbank already have sufficient grocery stores and what we need is Restaurants and Cafes and no more residential units. People who want Woolworths at their door-step can find a house in Top Ryde shopping centre and leave Meadowbank a place to live peacefully. Opening a boarding house in this area will make this place very unsafe. There will be people drinking all along the river and meadowbank park and no way the residents will feel safe to go for a walk in the night. For the last 4 years, I have always woke up with the sound of construction and after all this Holdmark buildings, I thought that this is over. But how come the Ryde council will let me sleep peacefully and hence they come up with another big development project. I would request to the council to atleast consider the issues faced by the existing residents and stop this new development without any hesitation.

18. Dear City of Ryde,

    As an owner and resident of Meadowbank I strongly object to the proposal. As aligned to comments above in addition to all the existing new residential developments occurring i.e. around 102 Bowden St close to the Constitutional Road round about.

    There really is no needs for more residential complex introduced as the existing infrastructure already doesn't support the amount of ever increasing daily traffic. Currently the rental vacancies are already very high so we do not know the full magnitude of the traffic/congestions.

    The upgrading of the retail area around the station could be a nice touch however I really oppose the notion of more residential units and boarding houses as it is not aligned with education precinct being built nearby and for the safety of the students. Meadowbank used to be a very pleasant area and really do wish the council of Ryde hears the voice of the residents and not let this happen.

    The area could definitely do with more improvements to the road like installation of more pedestrian crossing and speed camera/bumps especially around Bowden and Nancarrow Roads similar Walker St at Rhodes.

19. No no no. Once all the apartments on wharf road, Melrose park and the apartments currently still under construction in Meadowbank are completed the already hectic traffic around the train station will be chaos. We don’t need that many Extra apartments added to the chaos unless new roads to cater for all the added traffic are going to be included. A lot of people also come to the area for weekend sport and it is getting harder for Local residents’ visitors to Find a park when visiting.

20. This development would likely bring around 500 extra people to Meadowbank (added to the 10,000s with the other new developments that have popped up). The infrastructure is already at breaking point (pre-covid you could barely squeeze onto a train to the city). This little corner of Meadowbank is one of the last little pieces that isn't cramped full of high-rise high-density ant colony housing, it's a little oasis where you can have a coffee and relax in peace. I am concerned about the pollution (including noise) all this high density living causes. It may not be healthy to live in such an environment. I would like to oppose this development, for the sake of human dignity. We are not ants and can't live like them... (but I do like ants, they are pretty cool).

21. There has been so much development in Meadowbank area already. Another large development is being constructed in Melrose Park. No additional infrastructure or public green space has been added resulting in existing facilities over crowded and overused.

22. I object to this development. There are too many apartments in the area already and further residential development is not required. The streets cannot cope with the volume of traffic passing the suburb, and there is not much space between all the recently built apartments. Many of the apartments that have recently been completed seem to be empty, as developers / real estate agents continue to try and encourage people to buy the apartments. There is a glut in Meadowbank, as well as surrounding suburbs such as Ryde and Rhodes. The addition of further developments will contribute to more congestion on the roads and public transport. In addition, a boarding house is inappropriate for the area. Developers are keen to squeeze in boarding houses wherever they can without considering the impact to the area and quality of life. For example, there is also a boarding house development application for 16 Walker St in Rhodes, which is a very narrow site in between apartment buildings. There is no need to develop every bit of land available.

23. I strongly object to this proposed development. Meadowbank is already hugely over developed with a lack of amenities for the local community. It is becoming more and more congested on the roads and public transport.

    There has been an influx in empty properties in the area, there is no need for additional development. The lack of information on the boarding house is a concern in regards to this planning application.

24. I am a female resident of Meadowbank who enjoys the family environment and relative safety of our current community. I am dismayed to learn about the proposal to build a 162 Boarding House run by the Correction Services for recently released male prison inmates close to Meadowbank Tafe, education institutions and Children's Centres.

    The prospect of up to 162 males of questionable character and judgement, accommodated within the vicinity of children and young families raises serious concerns for the safety of the community.

    I strongly object to this proposal on the grounds of community safety.

25. Plans have been lodged by Sasco Developments for the mega 86 million mixed use development which would see four buildings up to 7 storeys high featuring 133 apartments and a 162-room boarding house on this site.

    This is overdevelopment for this area.

    If the proposed 162 bed boarding house is for newly released corrections persons, what impact will this have for nearby Meadowbank Educational hub for primary school students, secondary and TAFE students who are situated across the road?

26. Hi! Could somebody please post a source for the "162 Boarding House run by the Correction Services" bit that's been kicking around in the comments here recently? I can't substantiate this claim with what's publicly available, and would appreciate something to either confirm this or put it to bed.

27. There's significant misinformation being spread about this proposal, so I will clarify a few points based on public information. This proposal is designed by a tier 1 architecture firm, Fender Katsalidis (they've designed some of Australia’s most iconic places, such as Mona in Hobart, Garangula Gallery, Eureka in Victoria and Australia 108), any design with their name on it will be incomparable to anything in the area. Included in this proposal is an open community plaza, plus a variety of ground floor retail spaces for cafes, restaurants and other basic services. Contrary to fake news doing the rounds, there is no proposal for a correctional facility for prison inmates. The section under the boarding house code is defined as ‘Co-Living’, which is a higher quality accommodation for longer term tenants, predominately occupied by professionals (often tech-based workers), essential workers like teachers and nurses, or people looking to build social and professional networks in a safe and friendly community.

28. I oppose this development proposal for the following reasons:
    1) Existing roads in the area are already insufficient to serve local residents and there is often traffic congestion due to the narrow roads
    2) The train services also struggle at peak periods especially with the new Covid normal and this is only expected to make it worse for residents of the vicinity
    3) The amount of development around the building has already affected residents due to the noise, dust and road blockages due to construction
    4) A retail precinct of this size so close to the station and the new Meadowbank school will inconvenience residents as well as kids going to the school.
    5) At the moment the traffic is still manageable, but with the new retail precinct there is bound to be an influx into the area
    I would like the council to focus on building up the infrastructure to support this before giving a go for the new construction. At the moment there isn't even a decent foot path to walk up to the railway station when walking via constitution road.

29. Please sort out the traffic congestion around Meadowbank station before approving more development. There are so many cars and pedestrians around the station at certain times of the day. The development will make it worse and a death is waiting to happen

30. Strongly oppose this. This wil make Meadowbank suburb an unliveable one.
    Please stop this madness.

31. I agree with the comments around this from the community. I strongly OBJECT to this project, meadowbank does not have the infrastructure to support even more dwellings and people in such tight spaces already. Fix the roads, infrastructure, public transport and provide more green spaces first before thinking about adding further dwelling apartments.

32. Dear city of Ryde,

    I strongly oppose this proposal. Meadowbank is significantly overdeveloped. The already approved units in the area haven't even finished being built and the traffic and overcrowding is already terrible.

    Our local infrastructure isn't able to cope with more apartments.

    Please invest in more infrastructure before even considering more units. Our footpaths arouns the train station are not maintained enough to deal with our current population, let alone increasing it by hundreds. Parking is already an issue in the area and getting worse. Traffic is at a stand still for large chunks of the day with out current population.

    This is a bad idea on an already overdeveloped region.

33. Too overcrowded already. Never enough parking. A real shame for such a lovely spot.

34. Absolute NO, This is an already congested residential suburb and to have a boarding house close to education and travel facilities makes it very unsafe for the residential population who choose to live here. This proposal does not consider the infrastructure or socio economic diaspora. It is a purely commercial project . The community in Meadowbank is peaceful working class which enjoys the non commercial life this suburb has to offer. Adding Boarding houses , public's car park and commercial space takes away from the essence of the community. Totally irresponsible and poor planning from the Council. NOT SUPPORTING this proposal

35. Definitely not. There is too much congestion in meadowbank and around the station as is. There need to be more communical space for the current residence to enjoy their suburb and it's facilities. Over development will force people out of their beautiful area

36. I am flabbergasted that more high rise can even be considered. The area is over populated as it is. We live in Australia! Not a small island ! There is no need for this!!!! In years to come this densely populated area will be viewed as a slum..not a beautiful river side precinct! Infrastructure is not increasing with the population. Apartments are getting smaller, crime will go up , education and health will suffer.
    My children live here and it’s hard enough to visit them as it is.
    I am strongly opposed of this. I moved away from Epping Nsw as that area was destroyed by to many apartments...and now you want to do it here. SHAME on you !!!

37. No no no. It’s part of Meadowbank history. Preserve not destroy. Preserving history is part of development too. Would you listen to our pleas? Or continue ignorance?

38. Who are the individuals making money out of the endless large scale developments in Meadowbank? It’s not reasonable that residents are expected to endure the stress it creates. It seems we’re powerless to do anything about the deterioration in our surroundings.

39. I see a lot of recent comments on Planning Alerts, has the status of this development changed? It's very difficult to track down any information on how it has proceeded at the planning panel or when it might be addressed.

40. There are many detailed, thoughtful and valid objections here which have detailed the further crushing impact another large scale development will have. But of course we all know this public comment phase is a sham. It is a sham just as the terms of evey final approval are but a first draft that every greedy developer can step through to vary and contort in their favour down the road against the objections and weariness of residents. Even without our supine council's embarrassing non-participation in defending the local area (and a state MP whose only real talent is to bob up - inane grin fixed in place - for the next photo op), this sits where every destructive monster of a planning application in Meadowbank sits - with the state government. And as ever, regardless of complaints, objections and empirical evidence of any other kind, their approval is just a formal rubber stamp away. On with the farce and crank up the jack hammers.

41. I always hoped that strip would turn into a nice villagey type area of shops and cafes and restaurants - kind of like Putney - but no, we are destined to be, and remain, a dump.

42. State Planning will overtake any local controls for this development, despite articulate objections from residents.
    The current infrastructure such as traffic flow, adequate parking and safe pedestrian access is woefully inadequate, let alone when this proposal is given the green light.
    Its a shame that public consultation and opinion is not taken into account especially when developments such as this affects public amenity on a grand scale.

43. As residents of Meadowbank, we strongly oppose this development. The area is already overpopulated!

44. "I always hoped that strip would turn into a nice villagey type area of shops and cafes and restaurants" - I think that is infact what is being proposed. Has anyone actually viewed the DA? The DA plans show a large grocer plus 20 specialty stores for cafes, restaurants and local amenities.

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