A whole bunch of new plants (ferns & Pig Face) were planted in Steel Park Marrickville South a couple of weeks ago.

This was the Development Assessment Committee Meeting.  Absent – Clrs Iskandar & Haylen.

The Councillors & Wards are as follows – LABOR:  Iskandar/Central, Haylen/North, Tsardoulias/West, Woods/South. GREENS:  Phillips/Central, Ellsmore/North, Brooks/West, Leary/South.  LIBERALS: Gardener/North, Tyler/West INDEPENDENT:  Macri/Central, Hanna/South.

The following is how I understood the meeting & all mistakes are mine.  Note: MC = Marrickville Council & DA = Development Application.

21 Essex Street Marrickville – Removal of car parking space for the front of the property. MC recommended refusal.

Speaker 1: Design Consultant.  The original DA included a car park & crossing.  MC required this to be removed.  MC thinks the space is small in size, but it is of sufficient size for a small car.  There is a precedent for this in this street with the next door neighbour’s property.  Can fit in a small car with a gate & still provide a car space on the street.  The neighbours support this.

Clr Phillips: Moved Council’s recommendation to refuse.  Mayor Macri:  Delete condition 1 & add construction to a layback. Parking is a premium.  I’m happy to help lessen any congestion in the street.

Clr Phillips: Opposing. Previous Clrs have been consistent in opposing parking in front gardens. It puts pedestrians at risk & removes public parking with the driveway. We will get more requests to do this.  We need a consistent streetscape, not vehicle crossings for paths. The space doesn’t match the car size.  There is a prospect of car overhang.  Walking with a pram with cars crossing driveways can force you on the street.

Clr Hanna: I always support car spaces. Ladies can’t park close & can’t carry their kids. I support the motion.  Clr Leary:  Looking at the application, the debate is over 75cms. I don’t believe this makes much of a difference, so will support the motion.  Clr Ellsmore: Asked staff for conformation that it won’t impact on street parking.  Staff:  No current driveway exists. Putting in a driveway removes a car space.

Mayor Macri:  The space will make a big difference to the people.  Being a narrow street, it will free up the street. It’s a gated spot.  All Councillors voted to approve, except for Clr Phillips.

30 Terminus Street Petersham, the White Cockatoo Hotel – Alterations & additions, including a enclosed rear terrace area & creating atrium areas.  MC recommended approval with conditions.

Speaker 1: Planning Consultant.  Asked for the Councillors approval of the DA.  The atrium will contain noise & improve the amenity to neighbours. MC recommends approval. We have a detailed acoustic report.  The atrium will be planted out with plants. This provides an internal space for smokers & will stop people smoking on the street.   No increase in gaming, no change in trading hours & no live music in this section.

Resident 1:  I oppose the DA on noise & privacy. The gravest concern with the DA is rooftop stacks that will release secondhand smoke near my property. My two kids will be playing under these stacks. Other kids live around the hotel too.  Only two sentences in the DA mention secondhand smoke.  The houses are over 5–metres. This smoke will permeate the buildings. There are 4 unfiltered stacks. I’m not prepared to risk my family’s health. It’s a temple to Winfield & completely out of step with community standards.

Resident 2:  Objecting to the DA.  It’s very difficult to have a Council that approves smoking & drinking together.  Smoking areas are too large.  I request strongly that they remove the London Plane Tree & plant a native tree.  It sheds a lot of leaves. This is the perfect opportunity to remedy that.

Clr Phillips:  Move to refuse.  The DA has multiple problems. It is stretching the definition of what is an outdoor area.  Basically, it is stacks or chimneys & louvers. I don’t think this is a true outdoor area.  It’s probably more profitable to keep patrons at gaming machines & smoke. MC should be putting amenity of residents before the profits of the pub.  Not a good outcome to encourage people to gamble & smoke.  Smoke will come out of exhaust stack drifting into their windows.  It’s surrounded by dense residential area. There is a strong public interest here.

Clr Brooks: I agree with Clr Phillips. The other concern is worker’s health grounds, who work in venues where people are able to smoke. No suitable protection for people who work in this pub.   Clr Ellsmore: I support refusal.  My greatest concern is the increase in gambling revenue. Not good in the public interest.  Clr Tsardoulias:  Q: If we refused the DA how would we stand in the Land & Environment Court?  Clr Hanna: I don’t think this is the right question.  Staff: We can’t be sure. We would run on social impact.  Clr Tsardoulias:  Will patrons smoke on Carrington Lane? Map shows side door, which will allow people to go there.  Staff: People will smoke outside on Terminus Street.

Clr Gardiner: I’m proudly a Liberal Party member. I wholeheartedly support the motion by Clr Phillips. I worked in the gaming industry for a long time & understand the gaming industry well.  I’ve no doubt this application is to support gaming & keep people on the gaming machines by allowing them to smoke.  I strongly object to the hotel industry bringing back smoking in a sham DA. I am concerned regarding the Land & Environment Court & the DA exceeding the floor/space ratio.

Clr Hanna: I support Clr Phillips.  I’ve been a Councillor for 17-years. This is the second time I’ve seen a resident speak & cry.  The first one was about a tree & this one about protecting his kids.  No way I will vote for this one.    Mayor Macri:  Challenging application.  Floor/space ratio has actually reduced.  Staff: Marginal decrease so point 3 is inaccurate. Clr Phillips deleted this from his motion.  The vote to refuse the DA was unanimous.

32-70 Alice Street Newtown – 7 retail tenancies, 206 residential dwellings & 163 car parking spaces – This DA has been appealed in the Land & Environment Court, “in relation to the deemed refusal of the application.”  Contentions have been raised, “regarding excessive floor space ratio & non-conforming building massing, which leads to additional density & overdevelopment of the site.”  The papers said this was a confidential report  & that Councillors may decide to discuss this in a closed meeting.    As it was last on the agenda, I decided not to stay.  Here ends the Report for this week.

DA diagram for Alice Street Newtown