Critics say plans to build towers 89 meters high adjacent to heritage areas in Sydney’s eastern suburbs could impact nearby residents, and don’t properly take into account Covid-19.
The draft for Edgecliff Commercial Centre, proposes up to 500 new apartments and 6750 sqm of additional commercial floor space.
In addition to this the council of Woollahra also has other projects lined up, like rooftop public spaces above the Edgecliff Bus terminal, a linear park on New South Head Road and a new public plaza next to Edgecliff station.
Council spokespeople say that a ground level public plaza, will provide a much-needed public gathering space for residents, workers and visitors.
The councillor of Woollahra Harriet price argues that an increase in building heights and floor-space ratios, will impact on the heritage and amenity of neighbouring suburbs such as Paddington. She says “We don’t want a Chatswood or Bondi Junction in Woollahra Council”.
The council voted to put the strategy on public exhibition despite the objection of councillors including Counsellor Price, who said increased building heights would impact neighbouring residents.
“The strategy lacks particulars on mechanisms to protect impacts on amenity, view sharing and solar access to existing public open spaces – especially Paddington’s backyard, Trumper Park and oval,” she said Cr Price said the strategy gave concessions to developers without requiring public domain improvements and community infrastructure, favouring the developers.
“The ability to widen New South Head Road is fundamental to the overall strategy,” she said. “The likelihood (or otherwise) of Transport for NSW removing the existing road reservations is unconfirmed and at best, unclear.”
She also said the strategy was based on an analysis of future demand for retail, commercial and residential floor space prepared in 2017 and failed to take into account the current Covid -19 Pandemic..
Fellow councillor Lucinda Regan said the strategy was a response to pressure from the NSW government to put more housing in the Woollahra council area.
She said the impact on residents and infrastructure had not been properly considered.
“I do not believe that our municipality needs more high rise residential towers,” she said. “There is severe pressure on transport and infrastructure already in our area and more densification will not help this.”
A spokeswoman for the community-based Paddington Society said the strategy would worsen traffic congestion in an area which already had clogged roads.
“The proposed development, particularly the tall towers, will greatly affect the traffic, outlook, views, and overshadowing of residences and public spaces in the area,” she said.
Previous plans to build more housing around the station had been dropped because of concerns about parking and traffic, she said, “so I don’t know why this is even being considered”.
Alex Greenwich, the independent MP for Sydney, expressed support for aspects of the strategy including the linear park, the new public plaza at the Edgecliff Centre and public open space above the bus interchange.
“However high rise buildings up to 26 storeys on the ridge will overshadow residents to the south as well as Trumper Park and the Rushcutters Creek valley,” he said.
Mr Greenwich said the assessment of commercial space may need to be updated to take account of the pandemic.
The council spokesman said the strategy was designed to prevent ad hoc development following a number of requests to the council to increase building heights for residential towers.
“Taller buildings are proposed at the top of the ridge line around the Edgecliff train station,” he said. “Building heights would then reduce as the land slopes down away from the train station towards Rushcutters Bay Park.”
Building heights along New South Head Road, which currently range from five to 34 metres, could reach up to 89 metres (26 storeys) under the strategy.
The spokesman said traffic impacts would be “mitigated” with the provision of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
