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In February 2010 I posted about community action to save Hoskins Park in Dulwich Hill from a 3-storey development of 11 town houses next door that would remove 15 trees & which would ‘loom over’ Hoskins Park. Two development applications were submitted & both were refused. Council cited non-compliance with local planning controls & the huge community opposition to the development as reasons for refusal. The Marrickville Heritage Society also put in a submission against the development, particularly the intent to demolish two 1920s houses.
It was regarded as an overdevelopment back then & now another DA has been submitted, this time almost twice the size at 20 units. Currently the site is zoned 2A – low residential density, prohibiting multi-level & mulit-unit residential development in the Hoskins Park area. Half of the 20 units will be affordable housing (20% off market rent for 10 years). Perhaps they are hoping that the affordable housing component will ensure that the zoning requirements are ignored & the DA gets approved?
In the latest DA they want to do the following –
- Demolish parts of the historic Brooks Lodge. This building is being considered for heritage listing.
- Demolish 34 & 36 Piggot Street, two Federation houses that appear to be in excellent condition. 36 Piggott Street in particular has its original features, tessellated tiles, chimney & stained glass windows.
- 3-storey units will overlook Hoskins Park. As the land is on the hill directly above Hoskins Park, which slopes down towards the Greenway, the units will indeed ‘loom over’ the park.
- They also want to remove a mature Melaleuca street tree on Denison Road & an Evergreen Ash (Fraxinus griffithii) street tree on Piggot street. New trees will be planted here when the development is completed.
- They want to remove 4 trees from the front formal garden of Brooks Lodge & replace with a formal garden of their own design. 3 of the trees are of significant size & at least one is visible on the skyline from Hoskins Park & surrounding streets. A Frangipani will be relocated somewhere else.
- 4 small to small-sized trees inside the property will be removed.
- 1 mature Canary Island Palm will be removed. At the very least this tree should be transplanted somewhere into the streetscape of Marrickville LGA or a few metres across the fence & replanted in Hoskins Park. These trees cost thousands of dollars to source & are great sources of food & habitat for many species of birds as well as flying-foxes. They also handle transplanting well.
- All up this DA seeks to remove 11 trees.
Healthy Canary Island Palm - instead of chopping it down, why not relocate it across this fence into Hoskins Park or at the Cooks River or into a traffic island or somewhere else in Marrickville LGA?
I personally think there is much to be concerned about with this DA apart from the unnecessary loss of trees. To remove 4 healthy mature trees in a formal garden of an historic house to create another formal design is totally unnecessary in my opinion. The loss of these trees will have a major impact on the skyline & the leafy feel of this area. It will be also removing food sources & habitat for urban wildlife. Throwing away the Canary Island Palm is dreadful.
Local community group ‘Save Hoskins Park’ believes that the development, should it be approved, will have a significant detrimental impact on both Hoskins Park & the character & amenity of surrounding streets. They need others in Marrickville LGA to help them preserve the amenity, privacy, unique character & view corridors of Hoskins Park by sending Marrickville Council a submission opposing this development. You can contact ‘Save Hoskins Park’ if you would like a draft submission to make it easier at – savehoskinspark@yahoo.com
The DA (DA201100201) can be viewed here – http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/ePropertyProd/P1/PublicNotices/PublicNoticeDetails.aspx?r=%24P1.WEBGUEST&f=%24P1.ESB.PUBNOT.VIW&ApplicationId=DA201100201
The deadline for submissions is 12 noon 19th May 2011. Submissions can be emailed to – council@marrickville.nsw.gov.au
I made a short video of the trees that will be lost & the houses that will be demolished if this DA is approved – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_yiq__xpAk
& a short video of Hoskins Park – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CoNGNX09Vc
Showing the front garden of Brooks Lodge - every bit of green including the street tree is going to be chopped down or removed to create a new formal garden. It is already a beautiful formal garden.
Save Hoskins Park – This has nothing to do with Report from the Gallery, but it’s terrific news that can’t wait. The community won in their opposition to the DA in Piggot Street Dulwich Hill that would have seen 2 double fronted Federation houses demolished, many mature trees removed & building of 11 three storey town houses, 9 of which would loom over Hoskins Park. See – https://savingourtrees.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/3-more-street-trees-up-for-removal-local-news/ The DA was not passed & the residents are extremely happy with Marrickville Council.
From the Delegated Authority Report: The proposed development fails to satisfy the objectives & controls contained in Marrickville Local Environmental Plan 2001 & Marrickville Development Control Plan No. 35 – Urban Housing (Vol. 1). It is considered that the proposed development would result in significant impacts on the streetscape, Hoskins Park & amenity enjoyed by residents of adjoining & surrounding developments. Accordingly it is considered that the application should be refused.
View of the DA site from the high end of Hoskins Park
All up 154 submissions objecting to the proposed development were sent from the community. Marrickville Heritage Society also put in a submission against this DA. The community petition against the DA had 770 signatures. This is a fabulous response from the community. Compliments to the community group Save Hoskins Park for they worked hard to ensure their cause became known far wider than just in the immediate area. Well done & thank you also to Marrickville Council.
On to the meeting proper. Last Tuesday was the Development Assessment Meeting. Clr Tsardoulias was absent. The following is how I understood the meeting & any mistakes are mine.
The following DA decisions were deferred so that the Councillors could do a site inspection: 61 Edith St St Peters, 41 Neville St Marrickville, 14 Vernon St Lewisham & 15 Palace St Petersham. There was a bit of commotion about one of the DAs being deferred with a member of the gallery jumping up & saying it was a disgrace. He very much wanted the DA dismissed that night & judging by the nods from others, he was not alone. Shows you how stressful development can be to the community.
Backpacker Accommodation at 43-51 Addison Road Marrickville – This DA was previously refused in December 2009. See https://savingourtrees.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/report-from-the-gallery-2nd-march-2010/
This time they proposed an 80 bed establishment with off-street parking for 7 vehicles, 2 of them designated Disabled Parking. In recognition of the public
This Camphor Laurel tree is just over 2 metres wide
disturbances by intoxicated guests, they proposed to have a security guard patrol the local streets hourly from 9pm -3am Sunday to Thursdays & on-site Fridays & Saturdays “with authority to stamp out unacceptable behaviour.”
A speaker from the Backpacker Advisory Association of NSW addressed the Councillors. He spoke about how ‘house rules’ will be sufficiently communicated to guests & enforced if need be. He said there would be a full-time manager on-site who will have access to full-time security “which is unusual” & they have made provision for 6 neighbourhood meetings. In regards to parking he said most backpackers buy cars to go on a road trip, otherwise they use public transport. He cited the benefits of backpackers bringing $1.1 billion to NSW in 2009, each spends $2,500 on average during their stay & they each create 6.3 jobs for the community.
The General Manager of the company spoke next & said they had been negotiating with local police & set up a customer complaint monitoring system & 6 neighbourhood meetings. He said complaints had decreased of late. Said of the 41 guests in the past 2 months, only 2 had cars.
Figs cascade over the path on a foreshore walk in Birchgrove
A town planner spoke next & tabled a letter from their lawyer. He indicated they were prepared to take this DA to the Land & Environment Court. He said the key issue was the security guard who will walk the streets & there will be a restriction of the number of ‘allowed’ parties.
3 residents addressed the Councillors. Their speeches cited the following: broken glass, litter, vandalism & tampering with private property on a daily basis, female residents being accosted, cars driving on the wrong side of the road, groups of backpackers on the street screaming & fighting for hours, beer bottles lined up under residents’ cars, damaged public phone booth, vomit in the booth, a roller door being pulled off the garage & dumped with multiple other objects on top of a car, opening gates & letting pets out, climbing on residents roofs, damaging residents cars & so on. Naturally they had concern for their children being out on the footpath.
The residents said these days the police do come less often because the residents don’t call them often as they realise the police have finite resources. Therefore the situation hasn’t really improved even though it appears so on paper. They also said the building is not vacant as travellers are already living there.
Although the building is in an area zoned light industrial, residential houses abut the site. If this DA goes ahead, there will be 3 backpacker hostels which put the residents effectively inside a triangle of backpackers.
A massive Eucalypt on private property at Ballast Point Birchgrove
Clr Phillips said that while he appreciated the letter from the lawyer, Council must consider the public interest & this DA is a strong issue of concern for the public. He said the fact there is a need for a security guard says a lot. He said Backpackers come & go & he doubted they would sit down & read the Plan of Management. He said he thought the development was too big, saying the police have serious concerns about the development & with another backpackers, Newington Mews, which already has problems. He said, If Council approved this DA, they would be causing a lot more problems for the community & that an 80 bed hostel is not appropriate for the area & not in the public interest.
Clr Thanos said the current LEP allows this kind of use & he wanted the courts to be aware that Marrickville Council sees this area as inappropriate for backpacker establishments & that Council’s LEP is going to change soon. He put up an amendment that Council’s LEP should be altered to prevent this from happening.
Clr O’Sullivan supported this amendment saying Council also had issues of concentration of sex industry facilities & should consider control of concentrations of backpacker establishments as well. She said introducing another 80 backpackers who are often inebriated would have an effect on women, kids & older people. She also said it’s a new issue in the area & we need to have a clear view on these.
Clrs Olive & Macri spoke about the fact that, even though the hostel is in light industrial, it still abuts residential areas.
Clr Hanna said he did not like establishments like this in the area & encouraged the residents to contact Council’s monitoring services in the event of further disturbances.
a row of young Figs
The DA was unanimously voted against.
200 Enmore Road – A restaurant wanted to extend operating hours to 3am. They are a non-alcohol establishment. Approved.
Wilford Lane – The recommendation was for Council to negotiate a payment of $54,000 to the developer to widen this section of the laneway. Recent meetings between Council & residents agreed that the widened section of Wilford Lane would become green space. Over time, Council will buy back 3 metres along the laneway to widen the laneway from 3 metres to 6. Passed unanimously.
Meeting finished. A quick Council meeting followed which agreed that Marrickville Council hold a reception at Petersham Town Hall for the Women Walking for Peace event. The reception will be organised by Clr Byrne. Passed unanimously. The women are walking from Brisbane through Sydney to Canberra from 13 March – 25 May 2010. To see the itinerary – http://footprints.footprintsforpeace.net/australia_walk/upload/files/Itinerary_Updated.pdf
1. Marrickville Councillors will be voting on a DA soon which will see the demolition of 2 houses built in the 1920’s at 34-36 Piggott St Dulwich Hill, the conversion of the original area manor house built in the early 1880’s as well as the loss of 15 mature trees to build a 3 & 4 storeys development overlooking Hoskins Park. The local community is rallying to prevent this development. They believe the DA has many negative impacts on the community as well as destroying a green corridor & the green outlook of Hoskins Park. It is DA 201000022 & can be accessed via Council’s web-site.
2. The Manly Daily reported last week that Warringah Council removed a much-loved palm tree planted on the verge in Forestville without consulting the community. http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/loved-palm-tree-gets-the-chop/ Interestingly, a cross was spray-painted on the tree’s trunk a few days before it
What is the purpose of these symbols?
was chopped down. I note similar strange rune-like markings sprayed on a couple of the Hills Figs in Carrington Road Marrickville South. Were these put there by Council? Are Marrickville Council intending to remove these trees? I seem to remember 1 Fig tree was agreed to be removed for the new development which has recently commenced.
3. I wrote in the post Tempe Wetlands protest & trees at risk in Tempe that I would try to get further information about the mature trees at risk at the State Rail land in Edgar Street Tempe. Kerry, a local resident kindly left a comment (see comment roll) saying “I believe they (the trees) are under threat by the 27 townhouse development going in on the land next to the railway line. An underground car park & water tank retention system is to be built along the boundary line with the railway. At no stage have these trees been mentioned by the DA or State Rail or Marrickville Council’s tree officer.”
4. Sydney is getting it’s own 5.8 hectare Central Park at the old Carlton & United Brewery site at Broadway. This is a huge boon for the community on may levels & for Sydney’s urban wildlife. http://www.smh.com.au/national/central-park-off-broadway–thats-sydney-not-manhattan-20100209-notw.html
5. A little old as it was published last November. Hornsby Council intends to plant tree-lined boulevards with a councilor suggesting council create ‘immediate’ boulevards by planting trees which are already 4-5 metres tall. Wonderful if it happens & maybe cost effective considering the high loss of saplings Hornsby Council also experience. http://hornsby-advocate.whereilive.com.au/news/story/tree-lined-boulevardes-plan-for-hornsby/
new street trees - hanging baskets & planter box
6. City of Sydney Council recently planted numerous young trees along Glebe Point Road & some side streets. They used a porous hard substance to cover larger than average planting holes. The new street tree planting resulted in instant & significant greening of this already green street. Because of their size, I doubt they will be vandalized. It looks terrific.
7. The Star Tribune reported that a woman in Eden Prairie USA took to a tree service worker with a shot-gun to stop him chopping down a tree. We should never have this kind of action here. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/83607162.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU
8. The Home Owners Association in San Diego California will chop down in excess of 200 mature Eucalypts because 1 fell on a house recently. The residents are campaigning to prevent the removal of the trees saying they are prepared to live with the risk. You can read the story & watch a video which is an interesting look at their urban environment. http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11985277
9. World Forestry day is coming up on 21 March 2010. Many countries plant thousands of trees on this day. I don’t know as yet whether our Council is participating. The NSW Department of Industry & Investment has a range of activities planned – http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests/info/escape
10. Lastly, the NSW Department of Climate Change & Water has a great resource about threatened species which may be of interest to those of you are concerned about the Bandicoots at Lewisham. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/index.htm & http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/Search/QuickSearch.aspx
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