PlanningAlerts

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1. I am extremely concerned about this development going ahead. John Street is a small, narrow and with limited parking. The area is already at capacity with parking and congestion with the auction house and other commercial activity occurring very close to a lot of homes.

   The proposed development would contribute to noise pollution, congestion, parking difficulties already experienced by residents and should not go ahead.

2. This development will have a negative impact on neighbouring businesses and homes.

   It will monster over surrounding properties, blocking natural sunlight to homes and blocking our existing views of our neighbourhood and city skyline. We will lose our sense of space and be boxed in by a collosal structure that is not in keeping with the existing surroundings.

   The traffic congestion is extremely problematic. The nature of surrounding residential roads cannot service existing industrial traffic as it is. The top of John St and Hill St are particularly narrow and often the cars park on these streets are side swiped or even when leaglly parked, block traffic flow. Personally, my car has been scraped by a work vehicle from this area. Parking is extremely limited, and residents are often parked in by patrons of the industrial business. Cars and trucks can been seen double or even triple parking in John St; creating extremely dangerous traffic chaos. This naturally has a negative flow on effect for pedestrians - trying to dart between illegally parked vehicles. This is particularly difficult with a pram and young children.

   My neighbours and I (all with babies and children) are also very worried about the asbestos that has been reported. It's apparently riddle with the stuff. We are extremely concerned with the health and wellbeing of our families if this is a massive knock down, rebuild.

   I feel developers havnt really considered the big impact it will have on the daily lives of neighbouring business owners and residents. This cannot go ahead as is.

   Thank you for taking time to consider my objections. I have written a letter of objections to the council. I wanted to write this particular objection so it could be seen by the public.

3. Our property is located directly across the street from 42-48 John Street development and we will be the most significantly and detrimentally impacted by this development if it were to go ahead.

   Understanding this area is up against light industrial we object to being monstered by a development that is too large, destroys open space brings traffic our tiny streets cannot accomodate and importantly sets a precedent for what happens to the rest of John street as developers set their sites on this area.

   The building directly opposite this development has been built by the brother of this developer so its particularly important we get this right now.
   
   The concerns we have are as follows –
   
   Loss of light, views and open Space, Privacy
   Parking and Traffic Congestion
   Pedestrian Safety
   Noise Pollution
   
   The development will completely overshadow our property when taken above the telegraph poles and block out light, negatively impacting our day-to-day lives by taking away our sunshine.
   
   The plans as submitted will completely take away community district and city views and our open space, reasons why we were attracted to the area.
   
   The units in the development which have opening hours until 10pm each night will look directly into our bedrooms and we will lose all our privacy and night time peace and quiet every day.
   
   With the Auction house at 42-48 John Street, congestion is a major issue already. Everyone who lives here knows that. This is due to the passage of oversized trucks that clearly don’t fit through these narrow streets.

   Broken car side mirrors and scraped cars are a regular occurrence. As are close shaves due to poor visibility as a result of people ignoring parking signs and traffic rules.

   The area even after resident complaints never gets patrolled by parking officers.
   When residents call council the officers arrive hours after the report when there is nothing to see.
   
   As residents we are often illegally “parked in” by the very many Auction house customers who “double park” blocking cars exit. We have the right to be able to move our cars out of parking spots to get to work the same as everyone else.
   
   We also note that the residents at the mouth of John Street, where it meets at Styles Street also report regular incidents of vehicle damage because of heavy incoming traffic, mainly trucks that clearly don't fit down that street.

   Quite often large trucks ignore the one way sign and drive through from Hill to Styles street.

   If a truck parks at that end there is no access to John Street which has happened numerous times.

   In addition to all of this the street parking on Hill Street between John street and Balmain road as well as the narrow residential part of John Street from numbers 1-38 is already tight an d people park on the kerb so their cars don't get damaged. This only stands to worsen with the development.
   
   A major point I want to make is that as the Auction house is not leaving John Street but just moving to another building on John Street - so by allowing another very large development to proceed at 42-48 John Street property the already chaotic traffic mess will worsen exponentially. We simply can’t handle more trucks here, reversing and using the tiny intersection as a tuning circle.

   Residents fully understand this is a major issue. We simply can’t handle more trucks in this small space.
   
   Access to green space is a problem too, the development would negatively affect access to the several local parks and protected creeks in the nearby area. Many local Leichhardt families and school groups access the parks at White Creek and surrounding areas via John and Hill Streets on foot and on bikes.

   The intersection at John and Hill Streets is one where we have already witnessed several accidents and very many close shaves – with cars and also pedestrians. Trucks enter John street from Moore street and get stuck when they find there is no thoroughfare because they don't fit the corner at Hill Street.

   The placement of the driveways in the development application is also of concern. The one placed at the mouth of Emma street is going to make a 3 way intersection a full 4 way intersection – what measures will be take to make that safe ?
   
   There has been a significant increase in the number of children living in the area and we need to protect them, as residents who live here we know that this development of this site puts the safety of the neighbourhood’s children at risk because so many local children from the surrounding local schools - Annandale Public, Annandale North, St Brendan’s, Leichhardt Public and Leichhardt Secondary College – all use these streets to get to and from school passing through John and Hill Streets morning and afternoon.

   In addition to an increase in traffic, the development would also bring a rise in noise pollution due to the general increase in commercial activity as well as increased hours of operation at the development (compared with the current site’s operation, which closes around midday on Saturdays)
   
   As residents of 38-40 I can safely say we all know how much we look forward to closing time of the Auction house at 12pm Saturdays when we get our parking and peaceful enjoyment of our street and our parking back.

4. Dear Inner West Council,
   
   I am writing in support of the other residents and occupants of the Hill / John & Emma St regarding the traffic and parking issues that have been going on for some time.
   
   I have attached an email I sent to the Inner West Council dated 10/04/2018 in response to proposed works in Emma St outlining the parking issues we were having and large trucks damaging parked cars. There was no response or follow up to the issues outlined in the email.
   
   
   The below are existing issues that we are experiencing :
   
   1. As an occupant of Hill street we already experience minimal to no available parking during week days, especially when the auction house on John St has their viewing, auction and collection days ( Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday ) resulting in having to park up to two blocks away.
   During these days John St is hard to navigate due to large volumes of moving cars, cars parked illegally and vehicles blocking traffic whilst loading and unloading which on many occasions is dangerous for pedestrians and others cars.
   
   2. Since being notified that we can no longer park partially up on the footpath on one side of Hill St which allowed traffic to get through more easily, many parked cars being have been damaged, scratched and side mirrors being broken due to large trucks trying to drive through the narrow part of the street.
   
   The issues with parking and traffic are not new and over time have increased.
   The concern that we have is the proposed development on John street will without doubt increase the traffic/reduce available parking to the area and heavily impede on the residents who live within the area of the John St site.
   
   The current traffic and parking issues should be addressed by council before there is any discussion of adding in the thought of a large commercial development. Although the proposed site may satisfy the criteria of parking spaces set out in the guideline, the is n doubt that the additional traffic and vistors to the area will change the dynamic and impact on the people who live and work in this area.
   
   We hope that the Inner West Council addresses the existing issues and consults with the people that residide in the streets effected and comes up with a solution that is suitable for all residents and businesses.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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