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10 Comments

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1. This should not go ahead. There are 4 medical centers already within walking distance of this location. This is a commercial practice in a residential area and small street. There is a commercial area for this 650-700m away and another 1km. Commercial entities are quite welcome there, not in this small no through road area.
   The practice would not generate extra jobs for the area as one GP can only practice in such a small space as proposed.
   There is limited parking entry in this block. The entry is proposed single lane right on the outer of the sharp corner, this could cause people to cut the corner which is quite blind to the incoming traffic. The corner is very narrow and tight, right where customers would also park.
   All roads from this corner are to cul de sac's, this would mean increased traffic in these streets as well. The street is narrow and so many of these cars will do illegal u-turns at McCabe and Miller or just go up the end and have to turn around and drive through again. People already do this with the increased traffic from the school. Many children walk home along this street and i have seen some near misses.
   A commercial premises with handling money and drugs may increase crime that otherwise would not be a target.
   The application is asking for part use, this could turn into a large practice in the future because the ground floor is too small to accommodate growth.
   I strongly oppose this application.

2. EDIT-

   There are 5 medical practices within walking distances.

   2 Medical practices are 480m away. 1 is 780m away, another 1 is 1km and another at 1.2km away. Not to mention Bangor and Illawong medical centres which are also very close.

   Main point I am making is that there is already ample Medical Centres in the area and commercial areas for this type of business. There is no need or demand for this practice right here in a small no through road. The Medical Practitioner is just trying to get a cheaper way of running a business in a residential street.

   Having a doctor in your street is not a convenience here, not needed and people in the street may not even be customers of this particular medical practitioner.

   In the Statement of Environmental Effect and the Neighbour Notification Letter contradicts each other regarding the hours of business as well. This needs to be clarified. Will this be a mandatory thing that can be governed?

   Also a main point is that the proposed driveway is right on a small tight blind corner on a no through road.

   I oppose strongly.

3. To Sutherland Shire Council,

   This particular GP also has a practice 480m away at 2 Davidson Rd. Why does he need another one so close? There is no extra convenience for residents to have another practice located here.

   In the submitted Statement of Environmental Effect 4.4.11 mentions that one car place has to reverse out. The other 2 car places may reverse exit as well as the GP cannot enforce exiting front on and would be assumption to believe otherwise. If as stated there is 30 customers a day. That is approx 12-15 cars reversing a day on a blind narrow corner next to a school. This is not 'similar to that occurring at the majority of the residential properties in this area' as stated on page 24 of the SOEE. This also does not count cars from the staff, residents, pathology, deliveries and sales representatives. Extra risk for locals and children from the school walking home.

   Considering this is not a convenient location for neighbours, it is unsafe and the GP already has another local practice just 480m away there is no real driver or reason for this to go ahead.

   Please locate his new practice in a commercial premises only.

   I oppose.

4. Yes I will add my comment. As for the doctor who is in 2 Bradman Road not
   2 Davidson Road as stated in the flyer delivered to the residents. The doctor is
   only going to have one practice. The practice he has at the moment is too
   small ie. if people are sick there is no bed for them to lay on while waiting for the
   doctor to attend. When I have passed the doctors surgery there has only been
   on or two cars at a time at the least four cars. There are other issues in Miller
   Place that are not good and should be dealt with. Coming down Miller place to
   the end where the Park is there is always cars parked on both sides of the
   road have you ever thought that children might be standing there and they might
   get knocked over. The residents of Miller Place do more than 50k and I have
   nearly been run over because residents dont pull over to let other people out.
   I think it should be no standing all along Miller Place and you should park your
   car in the driveway provided by your house. What about up at the school where
   mothers do u turns in Trumper place and there is no room for anyone to walk
   or kids from school cross. There are more important issues in the street than a doctor who is trying to provide medical attention to those who need it. Lets get the street organised with the cars first before someone or a child gets hit.

   I am appaulled that residents could be so awful towards someone who is trying to
   help people in need. I hope one day that one of the opposes are sick and there is no one to help.

   No. 6 and 8 Miller Place. 14/10/2012

5. As commened earlier re. the cars collecting school kids, this will not be a problem as these cars turn on Trumper and not Miller.
   This Dr.will not be using no.2 Bradman(not Davidson) as well as Miller Place.
   No drugs or money will be stored on the premises as this Dr. bulk bills. Re. robberies Miller Pl. has had its fair share of them without a Dr. being around.
   My husband and I have absolutely no objection to a Dr. on our street as we are ageing, and, so are a lot of other residents
   Whatever has happened to the Australian way of giving a person a fair go. C'mon guys please
   LIVE and LET LIVE.

6. Hi how do you know how many cars go in and out of the doctors surgery if
   you havent got the address right. Today 15th October No. 27 and the house
   opposite deliberately had their cars out together so no one could hardly pass.
   Whats the good of doing this is its is very childish. I would like to complain to
   the council about cars parked together on either side. This is not how the
   doctor will have his cars. I have put up with a lot of cars parked in Miller Place
   for months and I think that the council should step in and do something about it.

   I dont really know where these people are getting their stories from???they do
   not make sense and cant even get the street right. I am very much in favour of the
   doctor coming up the street and I will keep writing this always.
   Diane Thomas

7. In response to the comments by Diane Thomas 14/10/12 & 15/10/12
   Well Diane, my wife and I always thought you were a nice person.
   It appears we were very wrong.
   For you to actually wish that we get sick and there is no one to help, is evil & vindictive.
   Perhaps, before you put your thoughts on paper you should actually think.
   My wife & I did not do the letter box drop you refer to.
   Nor did we know it was being done until we received our copy as you did.
   Why are you blaming us?
   I am a patient of Dr. Vihn Giang as you obviously are, so I know his address.
   I have always found him to be an excellent doctor.
   But this proposed move is a bad one for everyone in Trumper, Miller, O'Reilly & McCabe.
   Why? For the very reasons you have already stated.
   The main one being traffic & parking.
   It is a dangerous corner & I have parked my car in the street to demonstrate how difficult it is to get through. People are lazy & they will park on the street whether you think so or not.
   I would also like to thank you for your extremely rude & inaccurate letter you hand delivered to our letter box.
   You now blame me for 1. All the parked cars in Miller Place.
   2. People flying up & down the street.
   3. People doing U turns in Hall Drive & Trumper Place.
   4. People riding motor bikes at night.
   5. People in the street dying of cancer.
   6. People writing on walls & fences.
   And you ask what I intend doing about all of those.
   You then have the nerve to tell me to stop complaining, when it is YOU that has been placing all these comments on this facility.

   As a matter of interest, as much as I would like to solve all of the above complaints of yours.
   I am not a policeman, nor a magical healer, but I was on The Anti Graffiti Committee with Council some years ago, that was responsible for cleaning up all the back fences along Old Illawarra Road & planting the shrubs to deter future vandalism. I believe yours was one of the fences that benefited.
   But, I did not see you or any of your neighbours on that committee.
   This is only about having a Medical Practice at the entrance way to our small but busy Cul de Sac.
   Which is not only dangerous, it is not needed. If you look at the DA which you obviously have not you will see that there is still no treatment room for sick patients to lay down.
   This is the beginning of a large practice, because that is what the doctor wants.

8. Just to make clear my points in regards to opposing the proposed business at 29 Miller Place, Menai.
   
   4.1.2.2 Overall aims/objectives page 17 of Statement of Environmental Effect

   “quality of life of the local community will not be detrimentally effected” by this development proposal.

   Comment - My family’s and community negative impacts include:
   • Proposed business is approximately 40 meters from a 40 kilometre an hour school zone - then to a 50km zone. During school pick up time it is already very difficult to turn in to Trumper and Miller Place.
   • Everyday adults and children walk and ride bikes down Trumper and Miller Place on the street and not just the footpath as it is a quiet street. Huge concerns for the safety of these people with increased traffic and/or vehicles with the 2 dead end streets involved.
   • Business would be unsuitably positioned on the blind corner of 2 cul-de-sacs.
   • Any business (regardless of type of business) would be more suited to a commercial premises or main road with ample parking and road width. This will be detrimental on the business as well as residents.
   • This location for any business is extremely poorly thought of and deficient. With only one very small consulting room and reception this proposal will need expansion as growth may follow.
   • Increased traffic and noise from not only patients but pathology, staff, deliveries and medical sales representatives
   • Increased risk of crime due to drugs that may or even believed to be kept on premises
   • A reduction in visual appearance of the street as the appealing typical Miller Place residential look of the grassy front yard will be replaced by a concreted car park and business façade.
   • This business will generate noise from people arriving/exiting the building, cars and general business above the ambient area, especially for the adjoining and cross street neighbours. Some adjoining residents do work evenings.
   • Larger concrete surface area of car park will increase localised flooding downhill to neighbouring frontage. Concrete car park must be adequately drained not to cause flooding to adjoining neighbours downhill which is not mentioned in the plans. However this may be allowed for?
   
   
   4.3.1.1 Overall aims/objectives Page 19 of the Statement of Environmental Effect
   The proposed "will provide a desirable service within the community”

   Comment - Other businesses of this type already exists in multiple areas of this and surrounding suburbs – therefore is not a much needed or desired service. This is not a small country town with no services available.

   3.2 Development Statistics Page 11 of Statement of Environmental Effect

   “Hours of operation 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 8am to 1pm Saturday”
   Yet, Page 13 states: “The residential medical practice will operate from 7am - 5pm Monday to Friday and will be closed over the weekend”

   Comment - Conflicting hours of operation. We should be given clarification for proposal to proceed.
   

   4.1.2.3 Permissibility Page 17 of Statement of Environmental Effect

   The definition of a residential medical practice is as follows:
   “Residential medical practice means one or more rooms within (or within the curtilage of) a dwelling house used by not more than 3 health care professionals who practice in partnership (if there is more than one such professional) and who provides professional health care services to members of the public”

   Comment - We have no guarantee that this practice will not expand from 1 doctor to 3 in the future. If this happens visitors will increase from 30 to 90+ a day. This will to a great extent increase traffic and noise also negatively affect driver and pedestrian safety in these narrow cul-de-sacs. There is absolutely no room for such traffic and parking without serious concerns for safety.
   

   4.4.11 Access, Servicing, Parking and Traffic Page 24 of Statement of Environmental Effect

   “The parking provided for the site of 3 to 4 spaces for the medical practice meets and even exceeds the numerical requirement in council's development control plan.
   The design of the proposed parking layout will permit the majority of the patients to enter and exit the site in a forward direction using the existing driveway access provided. One of the spaces will require the occasional front in entry and reverse out exit and this movement is not considered a concern as it is similar to that occurring at the majority of the residential properties in this area”

   Comment -
   • No one can assume the patients will exit the practice in a forward facing direction – once again causing serious concerns for safety on a narrow corner. This cannot be policed or assumed otherwise.
   • Will it be possible for all vehicle sizes, including 4WD's that are common, to turn around to exit the practice in a front facing direction if there are other vehicles parked in spaces provided. This cannot be policed.
   • Patients may decide to park on the street rather than spaces provided increasing the risk of an accident on the narrow street. This cannot be policed or assumed otherwise.
   • 2 or even 4 cars per hour reversing is not “similar to the majority of residential properties in this area”. This is not including any future expansion which may occur.
   

   4.5.2 Tree Removal and Retention Page 27
   “The proposal does not involve removing any vegetation from the site in order to accommodate the medical practice”
   Yet, 3.3.3 Landscaping and tree removal Page 14 states
   “The proposal does not involve the removal of any native vegetation on the site however it is proposed to remove a small stand of Cocos palms and a conifer.”

   Comment - Once again conflicting information
   

   Conclusion -
   I can manage my family’s many medical issues locally and easily without the approval and go ahead of this development proposal. This letter is not stopping a medical practitioner from performing their duties. This is not personal. He can continue to practice as he already has a practice locally and there are many alternative locations locally for such a proposal and business.

   Regarding convenience, the negatives far outweigh the positives. The increased risks that this business proposal exposes onto the local residents, their visitors and children just cannot be ignored and must be taken seriously. A corner store, hairdresser, mechanic or medical practitioner may be convenient, however this is an extremely bad location for any business.

   I believe this will be detrimental to quality of life in this street and strongly oppose this development proposal at 29 Miller Place, Menai.

9. In response to the comments by Diane Thomas 14/10/12 & 15/10/12

   The purpose of this website is to comment for and against the proposed development.

   The rant Diane has given is totally invalid. Diane is complaining about the car parking and speeding - precisely why most people are negative to the proposal. So Diane is actually against the proposed development over parking & traffic reasons.

   The statement Diane made that she hopes that people that are opposing this development, "are sick and there is no one to help." is totally out of line and just shows her character for what she really is. I believe her comments regarding the proposal should be struck from any record of such.

   Anyone is welcome to comment on the proposal positively or negatively in a succinct way without the sort of intimidation and slander that Diane Thomas seems to think she is entitled to do.

   Diane Thomas has made the proposal invalid as many people who may have wanted to comment may be now too scared to do so. This intimidation will now not show the true majority of opinions and comments of the local community which may have been very different if it wasn't for Diane Thomas.

   Sutherland Shire Council must consider what has been written by Diane Thomas intimidating people when conducting the approval evaluation process.

   I welcome everybody to comment ASAP regarding this proposal without prejudice.

10. Town Planners did a marvellous job when they laid out Menai’s Central, Metro and Town Centre. People come from afar to shop, service their cars, see their dentist or doctor and then off to one the many eateries or restaurants. Menai attracts many shoppers from well outside the Sutherland Shire. Such a variety of shops and services and all within walking distance to each other. Plenty of parking is available close to these shops and services. Town Planners envisaged you seeing your GP then having your script filled at a nearby pharmacy. It all works so well with no disruption to the residential area.

    We now have a doctor wishing to expand his practice into our narrow residential tree lined cul-de-sac. This proposed practice will be less than 500 metres away from his current practice. Our town planners would be quite within their rights to ask “ Why dislocate the lives and amenity of the community when we have put so much money and time into planning Menai so that both commercial and residential properties were not in conflict with each other”.

    Our streets are considered to be safe havens for children, walking our dogs, mums pushing prams and the elderly strolling to the shops or buses. A commercial enterprise like a medical centre slipping in under the radar of our town planners may on the surface seem a blessing but has many undesirable consequences such as:-

    • Our narrow cul-de-sac becomes congested with cars and trucks slowing while turning and parking.
    • Graffiti and tags will adorn the brick walls of the surgery.
    • “No drugs or money kept on these premises overnight” since when did a silly little sign stop thieves breaking into premises so this type of crime will increase.
    • Six days a week commencing from 7 am. We are not supposed to have our lawn cut before 8am. (council regs) We are told the business will close at 5pm. Take a walk past the doctor’s present surgery and you will see people still in the waiting room at 6pm yet the business hours sign on the door says “closes at 5pm”.
    • Private driveways will be blocked from time to time by inconsiderate motorists running late for an appointment.
    • Strangers walking our street who previously had no reason to be in our street.
    • The doctor won’t be living on the premises so the manicured gardens will disappear, the letterbox becomes chocked and local papers pepper the driveway until cars running over them churn them to papier-mâché.
    
    We have read the planning development application and it addresses none of the resident or street concerns. Just a few of these being:-

    • Three car spaces provided. One for the doctor, one for the receptionist and one disabled. Where do the patients and reps park? In the street of course six days a week jostling for space with neighbours cars.
    • Traffic flow. People and cars entering and leaving the surgery right on a narrow corner. It will become an accident waiting to happen.
    • Caravans and boats in tow, garbage collections, liquid gas re fill trucks (elgas) and street sweepers will all have trouble negotiating the corner when vehicles are parked close to this tight corner.
    • Cars parking, doors slamming, engines revving, people waiting on the corner for the surgery to open. ambulances, pathology pickups and drop-offs, contaminated waste removal every day, courier pickups and drop-offs, medical supply reps. The list of daily visitors goes on.
    • Yes we have all seen these unkept, untidy homes used as a business where the owner resides elsewhere in his quiet tree lined street far from his place of work.
    
    We have studied this proposal in detail since May and we are sorry if we have offended anyone but we must side with our Town Planners and encourage the doctor to lease or buy a surgery in Menai’s business district where he will be welcomed with open arms. Here his business will include and not available in Miller Place are:-

    • unlimited safe free parking, security lighting, night security patrols, all garbage and wastes collected daily, on site gardener, cleaning and sweeping of the grounds daily, graffiti and tag removal daily, police station nearby, ambulance or emergency vehicle parking bay, pharmacy, xray and ultrasound facility, child minding, bus stop, taxi stand and not forgetting somewhere for the doctor and his receptionist to have a coffee or something to eat rather than sitting at their desks with the sick and injured.

    We very strongly object to this DA being approved.

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