PlanningAlerts

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1. I object to this proposal which is essentially wiping out an entire heritage streetscape. This proposal would make a terrible precedent at a time Waverley council is consulting on giving the area heritage protection on the basis of the area's unique buildings and character.

2. I object too. I’m sick of seeing these ugly and soulless apartment blocks replacing heritage buildings. Developers should not be allowed to destroy heritage buildings in order to make a quick buck.

3. Developers are no longer making a quick buck by demolishing heritage family homes, replacing them with tiny shoddily built apartments that crack at the first sign of weather and brick in Bondi.

   The buck developers make is a miserable buck, not a quick buck. The misery is written on the faces of those who live in and around these soulless buildings.

   It is also written on the faces of the developers who drive around in their RAMs and are now seriously questioning their life choices and wondering why they are not happy after they’ve made their first few million dollars of misery profit.

4. I hope Council will not allow so many 100 year old houses to be demolished to build an out of character block of units. I realise the Developer Contributions must be enticing but consider the community.

5. No no no. It’s too much and there is already a glut of units. Do we really need these massive apartments in the current environment (with no end in sight).
   Not to mention the traffic nightmare this will cause.
   This type of development is completely unnecessary and not wanted in the neighbourhood.

6. Just wondering with the 71 apartments being approved what additional amenities and infrastructure will be created by the council. The roads are already full , as is the street parking and will additional parklands be installed with reclaimed land ? All we ever see is the council receiving DA fees but not reinvesting into the community. Please do your job

7. As a local resident I object to this application. We have had too many examples of Bondi architecture ripped down and too many apartments built. The traffic is heavier, parking is harder, schools are unable to cope and public transport to and from Bondi is unable to cope too. At a time when we receive notes about our area becoming a heritage conservation area, please do not let these applications through before we become heritage listed and the beautiful suburb we all enjoy is protected from developments that impact our quality of life

8. I object to the proposed development of 71 apartments located at 79-103 Wellington Street. The size and stature of this development is overbearing relative to it's surrounds. The traffic impact assessment has clearly been written without attending the site during peak hours.

   It fails to address or solve the issue of the intersection of Wellington Street and O'brien Street. This roundabout/intersection is already at choke point during peak hours. Due to the sheer congestion, cars are regularly performing dangerous maneuvers and queuing in the roundabout to simply move through. In addition, the intersection on O'brien and Old South Head Road are also at capacity during peak hours.

   Even a minor increase in the number of vehicles using said intersection will have significant impact on travel times for a large portion of the Bondi precinct, as O'brien Street forms part a limited number of artery roads for many residents who live nearer the beach area.

   If the developer is proposing that residents use alternative routes, that will increase the 'rat run' nature of Bondi's already congested streets and will increase congestion on minor roads which will be a safety issue for pedestrians including children walking to school.

9. As a local resident I strongly object to the proposed development at 79-103 Wellington St. The proposed development is totally out of character with the local surrounds and will add additional strain on local roads and amenities which are already at capacity and struggling to cope. The Wellington St section is already an exceptionally busy thoroughfare which is extremely dangerous to cross in the morning and afternoon with young children trying to get to school and the addition of this extra traffic is going to make this problem a lot worse. The removal of these period houses will totally destroy the character of the street and would be a real shame. The apartment block already approved for Wellington is already excessive and should never have been approved and this proposal would add insult to injury.

10. I am very concerned about the scale of the development so close to the yet to be completed huge development of the old tennis courts at 105 Wellington Street. As already noted traffic congestion is already a major health and safety issue at the OBrien and Wellington Streets intersection.

11. In light of the fact that Waverley Council is conducting a heritage assessment of the municipality, approval of this application would be absolutely inconceivable.
    Bondi was such a charming, character-filled beachside suburb. The landscape is now changing for the worst and it’s becoming a concrete jungle wherein developers and builders seem to have an ever increasing sway.
    
    There is already a major building site in progress in Wellington Street - where the old tennis courts used to be – just a few doors down from this proposed application.
    One of the many significant lessons from the most recent pandemic sweeping through the population, i.e. Covid 19, is that of ‘social distancing.’ The new norm is space, not overcrowding and congestion.
    
    With such development comes more people, more cars and more traffic pollution in an area with no infrastructure to cope with the influx.
    One hopes that Council’s asking for comments from residents regarding this proposal adequately, with wisdom, gives credence to the depth and essences of the residents who daily have to live with the painful unintended consequences of these disturbing building applications.
    
    “Bondi Matters”……. and to quote Council: “Heritage plays a significant role in the appeal and life of the Waverley municipality. Retaining the old creates unique precincts, improves community life and the enjoyment of the place.” A mantra to heed and definitely follow!

12. As a local resident I object to this application. We have had too many examples of Bondi architecture ripped down and too many apartments built. The traffic is heavier, parking is harder, schools are unable to cope and public transport to and from Bondi is unable to cope too. At a time when we receive notes about our area becoming a heritage conservation area, please do not let these applications through before we become heritage listed and the beautiful suburb we all enjoy is protected from developments that impact our quality of life

13. As a local resident I object to this application. It is out of proportion to the rest of the street scape. Seventy one new apartments would be a massive burden on local roads and infrastructure.
    I object to the shadows cast to adjoining properties, the ugly aesthetic which disregards the areas unique history and the continued over crowding of our village for profit.

14. I object to this application. This development is not wanted in our neighbourhood. There is not the infrastructure to deal with yet more apartments.
    Our neighbourhood is losing its heritage value and is already over crowded.

15. As a local resident I object to this application. Heritage Bondi architecture is being ripped down too often and far too many apartments are being built. This is right next to the Wellington Street old tennis court development which is excessive and has caused traffic and parking chaos already. The size of this development (71 appartments in four storeys) is also really overbearing, relative to its surrounds.

    The local infrastructure already can't cope, and this will just contribute to heavier traffic, particularly in peak periods at the Wellington / O’Brien Street intersection. This will impact on travel times for a large portion of the Bondi precinct whether using public or personal transport. Parking will be even harder, and school runs further choked with safety issues for children walking to school amongst the traffic.

    At a time when we have only just received notice about this area becoming a heritage conservation area, please do not let this application through before the beautiful suburb we all enjoy is protected from developments that impact our quality of life. This type of development is completely unnecessary and not wanted in our neighbourhood.

16. I strenuously object to allowing this development to go ahead. This Small local street has had 2 enormous behemoth developments passed in the last 2 years. This is the only street to run between Bondi Rd and O’Brien st - the only 2 inroads into Bondi. If there is a crisis this road will be crucial and it is already beyond usable. For the sake of the people who have to live here please do not allow a monetary decision to ruin their lives and amenity. Because that is all that is in offer here. The infrastructure of Bondi and in particular Wellington St cannot take any more development.

17. Broadly we object to this development:

    1. It overshadows neighbouring buildings badly. It's too high and will create permanent shadows over buildings/houses to the south on O'Brien Street. This will not only affect neighbouring building privacy and access to sunlight, but also any solar energy facilities used by neighbouring properties.
    2. The development is trying to covertly sneak in ahead of the established heritage review and report on O'Brien Street due in October. It's clearly not in keeping with the heritage of the area and they are trying to cicumvent this. The development erases the few remaining early 19th century bungalow-style homes that defined Bondi. Extremely rare to be seen now, so often replaced by homogenous unsustainable bland architecture that erases our history and heritage.
    3. 71 apartments, 71 car parks (including guests), 77 bicycle parks (including guests), and 24 motorcycle park. All resulting in massively increased traffic that will come from an increase in the number of dwellings - it must be remembered that it's not just owners who have cars and other vehicles (scooters, bicycles, etc). Delivery vehicles for home delivery of food, Australia Post deliveries, residents cleaning and dog walking staff. This is a massive increase in population and people to service that population in an area that is already quite dense.
    4. How does this add value to the area? Short answer - it doesn't. In any way whatsoever. It only adds people, traffic, congestion and shadows.

18. I strongly object to this application.

    We do not have enough infrastructure for a development of this size in an already crowded area. Not to mention we are going to have a further influx when the synagogue/appartments is completed and this should not be approved before that impact can be evaluated.

19. I have a number of concerns with the DA for 81 Wellington St Bondi Beach.

    1. Pre-existing construction
    - Currently underway is the construction of a 30+ Apartment block and religious Centre in the site immediately adjacent to the proposed site. The current development replaces a tennis court which had been closed for some time prior to the commencement of development. The impact of this major new development to the surrounding Neighbourhood is yet to be realized. How can the council make an accurate assessment of the impact of the new proposal without assessing the results of this large scale development?

    2. Strain on infrastructure & overpopulation
    - The current DA seeks to replace 2 duplex style apartment blocks and a mixture of 6-8 single storey semis/freestanding homes with 71 (1,2 & 3 bedroom units). On conservative estimates that will bring 100 more residents to the area. There is no proposal to develop any retail, amenities, green space or transport infrastructure (indeed, the closest bus [378] has recently seen a reduction in routes despite significant overcrowding during peak times) in the proposal.

    3. Loss of historical streetscape
    - Replacing another historical bondi streetscape with an ill-conceived apartment block. We should be protecting this heritage and respecting our history rather than developing a site to make a group of “one percenters” even richer.

    4. Parking
    - The proposal has 71 apartments (1,2 & 3 bedroom) all with only ONE car space each. There is also 14 visitor parking spaces proposed. Parking in the area for residents is already heavily strained. The proposal will very likely have a net positive effect on street parking. Any new development in this area should seek to have a negative or net neutral effect on on-street parking.

    5. Accuracy of DA’s proposal
    - A number of the assessment of the surrounding areas and the potential impact of the new development that make up the DA have been made during the unprecedented downturn in transport, work/leisure behaviours and tourism that we have seen as a result of COVID-19. Therefore, the validity and accuracy of these assessments are questionable and should be interpreted with great scrutiny.

20. I have a number of concerns with the DA for 81 Wellington St Bondi Beach.

    1. Pre-existing construction
    - Currently underway is the construction of a 30+ Apartment block and religious Centre in the site immediately adjacent to the proposed site. The current development replaces a tennis court which had been closed for some time prior to the commencement of development. The impact of this major new development to the surrounding Neighbourhood is yet to be realized. How can the council make an accurate assessment of the impact of the new proposal without assessing the results of this large scale development?

    2. Strain on infrastructure & overpopulation
    - The current DA seeks to replace 2 duplex style apartment blocks and a mixture of 6-8 single storey semis/freestanding homes with 71 (1,2 & 3 bedroom units). On conservative estimates that will bring 100 more residents to the area. There is no proposal to develop any retail, amenities, green space or transport infrastructure (indeed, the closest bus [378] has recently seen a reduction in routes despite significant overcrowding during peak times) in the proposal.

    3. Loss of historical streetscape
    - Replacing another historical bondi streetscape with an ill-conceived apartment block. We should be protecting this heritage and respecting our history rather than developing a site to make a group of “one percenters” even richer.

    4. Parking
    - The proposal has 71 apartments (1,2 & 3 bedroom) all with only ONE car space each. There is also 14 visitor parking spaces proposed. Parking in the area for residents is already heavily strained. The proposal will very likely have a net positive effect on street parking. Any new development in this area should seek to have a negative or net neutral effect on on-street parking.

    5. Accuracy of DA’s proposal
    - A number of the assessment of the surrounding areas and the potential impact of the new development that make up the DA have been made during the unprecedented downturn in transport, work/leisure behaviours and tourism that we have seen as a result of COVID-19. Therefore, the validity and accuracy of these assessments are questionable and should be interpreted with great scrutiny.

21. I strongly object to the development of 79-103 Wellington Street.

    There is already a dangerous amount of high traffic in this section of Bondi. Introducing another 70+ apartments is going to put an enormous amount of pressure on the surround streets. The traffic congestion is going to be unbearable, it is only a matter of time before something tragic happens. I see the cars speeding up and down Wellington, O'Brien and Simpson Street, drivers trying to get around the gridlock of the O'Brien roundabouts and using the surrounding streets to navigate out of the suburb.

    Bondi is severally over populated as it is. Council need to consider how badly this development will impact the residents and stop thinking about the revenue this development will raise.

    High rise building blocks will ruin the landscape of Wellington Street / Simpson St / O'Brien St. It is bad enough that council approved 105 Wellington Street. It has been a nightmare for the residents for the past few years, with increased trades, no parking and noise throughout the area.

    These developments need to stop. I think Council need to consider and reference their own recent documents with regards to the heritage assessments of this area.
    (Ref: A20/0261)
    Ripping down heritage buildings and replacing them with high rise apartment blocks is not only ruining the landscape of the streets but it is creating an unbearable living situation for the residents.

    Council need to consider the significant affects this will have on environmental conditions and community / neighbourhood impacts. These high rise developments separate us from each other and make no visual sense, all that these developments do is block out natural light and destroy the landscape. Approving a 4 story building is in breach of the zoned height restrictions and sets a dangerous precedents for the area.

    Please stop approving these horrible developments and keep Bondi safe. Consider all the people who to live here.

22. I object to another soulless apartment block being erected in our beautiful neighborhood. Please put the community first and leave the heritage houses where they are. There has been no thought about infrastructure to accommodate these extra residents and how they will affect the overcrowded traffic, parking and schools

23. I object to the proposed development of 71 apartments located at 79-103 Wellington Street. The size and stature of this development is overbearing relative to it's surrounds. The traffic impact assessment has clearly been written without attending the site during peak hours.

    It fails to address or solve the issue of the intersection of Wellington Street and O'brien Street. This roundabout/intersection is already at choke point during peak hours. Due to the sheer congestion, cars are regularly performing dangerous maneuvers and queuing in the roundabout to simply move through. In addition, the intersection on O'brien and Old South Head Road are also at capacity during peak hours.

    Even a minor increase in the number of vehicles using said intersection will have significant impact on travel times for a large portion of the Bondi precinct, as O'brien Street forms part a limited number of artery roads for many residents who live nearer the beach area.

    If the developer is proposing that residents use alternative routes, that will increase the 'rat run' nature of Bondi's already conjested streets and will increase conjestion on minor roads which will be a safety issue for pedestrians including children walking to school.

24. 71 new apartments in an area that is already crowded doesn't seem to make sense? The vacancy rates of apartment across Sydney is high so why are we building more apartments in an overcrowded area? Will more parks, schools, roads be funded? Community centres etc, what is the reason for residents agreeing to this development? This council needs to reinvest in it residents it already has before pumping in new residents and losing the soul of bondi

25. The new development will proceed like the previous development did with the Maccabbi tennis courts after a 12 year battle.
    The Waverley Council is powerless or unwilling to fight. The project is a done deal.
    In the same street a lobby group replaced an open space for the benefit of the community with a Synagogue and some accommodation. The developers got exactly what they wanted and sadly the consultation process was only a “tick the box “ exercise.

26. The new development will proceed like the previous development did with the Maccabbi tennis courts after a 12 year battle.
    The Waverley Council is powerless or unwilling to fight. The project is a done deal.
    In the same street a lobby group replaced an open space for the benefit of the community with a Synagogue and some accommodation. The developers got exactly what they wanted and sadly the consultation process was only a “tick the box “ exercise.

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