The Sydney North Planning Panel has approved the Pathways Aged Care Development in Northwood and the Lane Cove Council has finalised the DA.
Northwood and Longueville Residents’ Associations objected to the development on numerous grounds.
Background
On 28 August 2020 Pathways lodged DA 113/2020.
Pathways were seeking approval for a mixed-use development which includes:
- The demolition of all existing building and structures, including the removal of 11 trees
- Site preparation and earthworks including excavation of one full basement level and two-part basement levels
- The construction of part 3 and part 5 storey building comprising:
- “residential aged care facility” (RACF) containing 143 beds and ancillary services 2,051sqm sqm commercial premises and medical centre including an ancillary hydrotherapy pool
- Basement parking for 86 vehicles, 65 bicycles and six motorcycles
- Associated landscaping, paving and retaining walls.
- Consolidation of all lots of Subsequent development application(s) will be lodged for the future use of the commercial areas.
It is anticipated the commercial area will include retail and business uses such as a pharmacy, hair and beauty salon, and café. Remediation of the site is being undertaken as development without consent under a Remediation Action Plan. Relocation of the existing telecommunications tower is currently being negotiated and will be conducted per the Telecommunications Act.
There were six buildings on the site (including the Metro Service Station aka Speedway Petrol Station and the Riverview Vet). The service station site has been cleared.
It is also located at the notorious Longueville Road/Kenneth Street and River Road West intersection.
You can learn more about the development on the Pathways Longueville website.
Planning Panel
The DA was first reviewed by the Planning Panel in December 2020. At that time the Planning Panel decided to defer the application to allow Lane Cove Council and Pathways to further resolve issues of concern. At that time the Lane Cove Council recommendation was refusal of the DA. However, the panel believed the proposal had merit and ask the parties to resolve the following concerns.
- Building Height – There was a variation requested in the height limit for the Building’s parapet;
- Built Form – Setbacks need to be resolved to create a pedestrian-friendly, cyclist-friendly, vibrant and active neighbourhood including a 3m setback for the ground and first floors and a further setback for the third floor to moderate the appearance of the building mass from the pedestrian level.
- Further information was to be provided in discussion with the council in relation to 8 reasons for the council’s refusal.
Between the December Deferral and the Planning Panel meeting on 21 April 2021, Pathways and the Lane Cove Council reached an agreement on all aspects of the DA except the setback to the upper level to Northwood Road, compliance with a 10m bushland buffer and retention of one particular tree.
At the Panel meeting on 21 April 2021 members of the public, who had made representations, were permitted to speak. Most of the public comments were around general planning and traffic issues.
The Panel published their determination in early May (you can read it in full here).
In summary, the Panel considered the proposal has been extensively assessed and that the approval of the development would make a worthwhile contribution to the Lane Cove Community and be in the public interest.
In particular the Planning determination states:
“Incoming to its decision, the Panel considered written submissions made during the public exhibition and heard from all those wishing to address the two public meetings. Issues of concern including building height, bulk & scale, setbacks, streetscape, bushland buffer, threatened species, traffic and parking. The Panel considers concerns raised by the community have been adequately addressed in Council’s responses during the public meetings and in the conditions as amended.
The Lane Cove Council is yet to upload the final DA to the DA Portal – you can look at the plans here.
Traffic Issues
One of the most controversial aspects of the development is the left in/left out entrance and exit requirements. Vehicles wanting to turn right would need to wind through the Northwood and Longueville narrow streets. Since the application was lodged, Lane Cove Council has confirmed that a Northwood Road Roundabout has been approved.
They have advised as follows:
“TfNSW has given its approval for the proposed roundabout on River Road/Northwood Road. This project will address long term safety issues at this intersection. Funding has been included in the 2021/22 Draft Budget to construct the roundabout and acquire the property at 194 River Road which will include the realignment of the former Stephenson Street access road, refer below. These negotiations are close to finalisation and will allow the project to proceed in the early part of 2022. The new Stevenson Street will include existing connections and or new connections to the sport and recreation facility should this project proceed to construction, the new Road will be delivered in stages and extended down to the new public car park.”
Historical Background
In September 2016, a community meeting was held. The meeting was packed with local residents expressing their displeasure at the Northwood Shops Planning Proposal.
At the February 2017 Lane Cove Council Meeting, the councillors unanimously rejected the Pathways Residences plan. You can read why the Lane Cove Council rejected the proposal here.
On 27 February 2017, Pathways submitted to the NSW Planning a rezoning review against Council’s decision to reject the Northwood Shops Planning Proposal. Despite Lane Cove Council submissions, the Sydney North Planning Panel determined that the proposal demonstrated strategic and site-specific merit and that it should be submitted for a Gateway Determination, along with a draft Development Control Plan.
The Northwood Shops Planning Proposal was granted a Gateway Determination by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. Even though the Lane Cove Council disagreed with the plan, they were still required to notify and exhibit the planning proposal and hold a further community information session on Wednesday 14 March 2018.
Again the meeting was packed with local residents expressing their displeasure at the proposed Northwood Shops Planning Proposal.
As part of the community consultation, residents were surveyed about the proposed plans with market researchers asking questions in the Lane Cove Plaza. ITC was told by some of the surveyed residents their number one concern was traffic and the dangerous intersection. They did not consider the proposed site as appropriate for an aged care facility.
In 2018, Pathways submitted amended plans. Lane Cove Council again refused the Northwood Shops Planning Proposal on the following town planning and urban design grounds:
- The proposed scale is considered excessive and conflicts with the scale of the nearby Lane Cove Village;
- The proposed scale is inconsistent with other B1 Neighbourhood Centre zones;
- The fourth leg at the Kenneth/Northwood signalised intersection is opposed by the RMS;
- A single site entry/egress is requested at the southern end of the site by the RMS;
- No public benefits are proposed to be delivered despite a development that seeks substantial uplift;
- The 3 metre rear buffer to the adjoining SEPP19 bushland (zoned E2) is opposed by NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OE&H), and it has not been demonstrated that the adjacent bushland can be adequately protected by the proposed 3m wide buffer;
- Offset planting is required by OE&H on-site if two turpentine trees are removed;
- NSW OE&H have confirmed that the impacts on the adjoining SEPP19 bushland are not adequately addressed;
- Based on independent analysis of the original urban design documents, the building envelope envisaged by the proposed floor space ratio and height control cannot be achieved;
- Council’s independent urban design analysis concludes that both height and floor space ratio are not suitably justified on urban design or planning grounds;
- Council’s independent urban design analysis has confirmed that a more modest scale would achieve a better-built form and design outcome and further likely reduce overshadowing impacts on adjoining residential properties; and
- The amended urban design responses do not adequately address issues raised by the Council’s independent urban design analysis, nor do they provide any justification for their proposed height and floor space ratio.
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