PlanningAlerts

5 Comments

Create an account or sign in to have your say by adding your own comment.

1. DA-2014/567 re 290 Mowbray Road, Artarmon

   21/12/2014

   To Whom It May Concern

   An energetic campaign of opposition by a significant number of locals residents was lodged about this property about this time last year in regard to the proposed development of a long day care centre in this suburban street.

   Our opposition was regarding several areas of concern which in fact council totally agreed with and which resulted in the rejection of that DA proposal.

   Issues

   Lack of parking in dead end street ie. access to property is on Stafford Road
   Danger of parking on busy Mowbray Road to drop off children
   Impact on neighbouring streets particularly Muttama Road, Tindale Road and Stafford Road
   Access for emergency vehicles
   Increased volume of traffic along Stafford and Tindale Roads - at peak drop off / collection times - investigated in survey
   OHS and other safety issues with young children at drop off and pickup times
   Noise to neighbouring properties
   Lack of space on property to construct designated driveway for vehicles

   Also how is it possible to have car spaces for 21 cars on this property that would be safe to children when staff do shift work and so arrive and leave at varying times ??

   Thank you for your consideration

   Susan Clayhills

2. To Whom It May Concern

   Tindale Road and Stafford Road already have excessive traffic levels from drivers using that route as a shortcut to bypass Mowbray Road (they transit between Artarmon station and the Mowbray Rd/Sydney St intersection). The traffic volume has become excessive in recent years. These are residential roads, not arterial, and are unsuited to high traffic volume due to their being narrow increasing risks of collision. Stafford Road also has visibility issues due to it's many hills/crests. Putting a massive day care center at the end of the street will significantly increase the traffic/risks to residents and their children (and make no mistake, 85 places is ridiculously large for a residential center. Most are 25-50).

   85 places means a lot of cars in peak hours. I think the council should put the safety of residents and their children first and before the commercial interest of the person wanting to put a business in a street unsuited to the traffic it will generate. Then there's the parking issue. Where are the parents of the 85 children going to park exactly? I'd assume many will park their cars on Tindale Rd and catch the train to work. The 10 customer spaces in the DA is clearly inadequate.

   Given there's already a Hubba Bubba daycare center on Stafford Rd (at the intersection of Sydney St) surely an alternative street is more reasonable rather than expecting residents having to contend with the traffic/parking issues caused by having two large centers on their street. I'm not against residential day care facilities. I myself have a child in day care. But it's simply not safe to put any more traffic on Tindale Road and Stafford Road and the safety of children in the neighbourhood should outweigh other factors.

3. There seems to be no regard for other road users in the submission, particularly cyclists who use the cycle paths in the area.

   The developers predict an extra 200 vehicles a day in this area, which is substantial, including staff, delivery and waste vehicles, and likely disadvantageous to the very children the centre is supposed to be caring for.

   You should reject the proposal.

4. I've been using the quiet back streets of Artarmon for many years to commute to town for work from Pymble as a cyclist. I have chosen Tindale and the cycle path through Artarmon as it offers some respite from the traffic in other areas. while Tindale is relatively quiet, over the years I have seen a trend for rat running where drivers take no care in other users, be it other drivers, pedestrians (including school children) or cyclists. Many travel at speed and flaunt stop and give way signs.

   The streets while wide enough for two way traffic are not when cars park either side, as is the case at the top of Tindale near Mowbray Road and also towards Artarmon station. This applies to all the local roads in the area. While the traffic is not excessive, the peak times are from around 6:30am - 9am and then in the afternoon. I cannot comment for the peak times but around 5:45pm - 6pm when I pass through, there is generally speeding traffic.

   With the inclusion of a child care centre utilising these quiet streets that Council blocked off many years ago to try and curtail the rat runs, now runs a mockery of Council and how they view the residence.

   The development should be rejected for the following reasons:
   * Narrow streets with inability to allow two way traffic due to parking either side of road
   * Narrow streets not having capacity for increased usage and continual increase in cyclist movements
   * Conflict with peak cyclists usage at the same time as peak usage of the day care centre
   * Development not consistent with residential area
   * Poor street lighting which may not meet code requirements for the high usage of vehicles and pedestrians if day care centre is approved

   Gordon Newell

5. I do not think the application should be approved.

   The residential back streets near the proposed development are already difficult to negotiate, with little room for existing parked cars and passing traffic.

   I cycle commute along Tindale each way during the morning and afternoon traffic peaks at times that coincide with the proposed increase in usage.

   Travelling the existing cycle route would become far more hazardous if another 85 or 100 traffic movements were added to the area during a sample 1.5 hour period. With a car going in and coming out, that would be an additional car every 30 seconds.

   Consider the existing situation where it is normally necessary for cars travelling the route to have to stop and wait behind parked cars for passing traffic. Add another car every 30 seconds and you'll possibly have grid lock. Not good for me as a cyclist and not good for the local residents who would like to maintain peace and quiet and a viable way of accessing their own properties.

   What happens if there is a tree down, or some other blockage compounding the grid lock? No one will be able to get in or out.

Have your say on this application

Your comment and details will be sent to Willoughby City Council. They may consider your submission when they decide whether to approve this application. Your name and comment will be posted publicly above.

Create an account or sign in to make a comment