Thursday 14 December 2023

DAs In Play to 20/9/23 to 11/12/23

It’s been a few months since a DA update has been provided and so there has been a bit of action, which if you share a boundary you may know about, but if you don’t you find out sometimes when the trees start to fall.

Some of the DAs of note include the demolition of the two waterfront houses on Victory Row in the Terraces section of the Toronto Foreshore Park, a carwash proposal and extra parking at the Toronto Workers Club, an interesting one into subdivision at 83 Skye Point Rd (a duplex and house) and a big one at 133 Excelsior Pde (10 two-storey multi-dwelling units).

114-118 Cary Street

Land & Environment Court Hearing proposed for Cary Street residential development- (Victory Pde/Cary St lights, next to McDonalds).

Toronto Investments (applicant) has appealed to the NSW Land and Environment Court against the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel’s refusal of Development Application No. DA/1651/2022 (114-118 Cary Street) for the construction of a mixed-use residential apartment building (108 units), following a breakdown of a Court-mediated conciliation process. The Court has now allowed the applicant to amend its DA and granted the applicant a hearing between 18-20 December.

Changes to the proposed building are mainly cosmetic, with the bulk, scale, size and heavy footprint essentially unchanged and it is still non-compliant under the Toronto Town Centre Area Plan. A more constrained, open development would help rather than hinder linkages with surrounds including the foreshore and Greenway and foster more active transport and leisure.

Whilst concerns about potential groundwater impacts on the adjacent SEPP 14 Toronto coastal wetland due to the proposed construction of a two level basement carpark have been somewhat addressed there are still uncertainties with modelling and field data.

Potential traffic-related impacts in surrounding streets and, particularly the Cary St/Bay St intersection, are not well addressed. Resident concerns about traffic congestion and safety have been largely ignored.

In-fill around town centres such as Toronto should be designed sensitively, without despoiling public amenity, natural and cultural heritage, appeal to residents and visitors, and a healthy environment and connection to our lake.

The Public are welcome to attend the on-site (Cary Street) meeting at 10.20 am on December 18 but will only be permitted to speak if previously registered. Council’s refusal position hasn’t changed. A community presence to support those immediately impacted as well as Council is something we can do to advocate against development by attrition, where community exhaustion weakens the capacity for the community to comment.

The issues mentioned in the August 2022 Chronicle remain ostensibly the same as outlined in previous Chronicles. https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/2022/08/da16512022-114-120-cary-street.html

CPPA Vice President – Nico Marcar