Two north shore suburbs are set to be transformed under plans for buildings up to 24 storeys tall on low-rise blocks of land along with new bike paths and streetscape upgrades
Residents have delivered a mixed response to a civic planning study by North Sydney Council outlining a list of sites with “development potential” in low and medium density areas between McLaren St in North Sydney and Falcon St in Crows Nest.
The transformation has been partly prompted by construction of the Victoria Cross Metro Station that is set to see a surge in foot traffic and development interest in the area, with four planning proposals already in the works in the study area.
- More than 50% of submissions to the council have objected to privacy and loss of views from one of these redevelopments that would involve turning a Sydney Metro construction site at 52 McLaren St into a 24 storey building.
- More concerns have been raised over high-rise developments of the 173-179 Walker Street & 11-17 Hampden Street, along with 10 submissions relating to the “Fiveways Triangle” on the corner of Falcon St and the Pacific Hwy in Crows Nest and 10 submissions centred on 253-267 Pacific Highway.
- Concerns over construction impacts from the Western Harbour Tunnel, calls for the heritage value of the area to be protected and support for a revamp of the Pacific Hwy corridor.
- Residents have also questioned the demand for new offices and unit blocks in the area, noting COVID-19 and international border restrictions has cooled demand in the housing sector.
The council in response to residents complaints has dropped the height limits from 12 storeys to 10 at 257-367 Pacific Hwy, while the Fiveways Triangle has been set for 16 storeys by the State Government – a fourfold increase on the current building but below the 36 storeys originally planned by developers.
The East Walker site – known as one of the last remaining low-scale residential blocks in North Sydney – would have building heights capped at 20 storeys – below the 29 proposed by site owners.
The council argued the 24 storey cap at 52 McLaren St on the grounds it could deliver public benefits including a six-metre wide laneway connecting North Sydney Station to St Leonards Park.
Improvements range from:
- New Community meeting rooms
- Improvements to St Leonards Park and North Sydney Oval
- New Cycleways along West and Ridge St and Pacific Hwy.
- Kelly’s place childcare will relocate into the study area, due to pending closure of the site to accommodate construction of the Crows Nest Metro Station, due to open in 2024.
- Need for affordable housing (North Sydney has 1.8% of homes offered at affordable rate, below the 5.5% citywide average.
The council said the plans were developed before the pandemic and it was “premature to revise” targets for 21,000 jobs in the North Sydney CBD and 16,000 jobs in St Leonards along with 10,250 new homes over the next 16 years.
The study noted the area currently has important social and recreational role due to the council chambers, a public library, theatre, community markets, exercise classes, social gatherings and sport events all located within the precinct
