What is your vision for Lewisham? Master plan comments now open
Now is the time to have you say about the kind of development you’d like to see on the Lewisham Towers site.
Marrickville Council’s master plan process has begun and community consultation for the McGill Street Precinct has opened.
The precinct is located in Lewisham and is bounded by Old Canterbury Road to the east and south, Hawthorne Canal and the Rozelle Goods Line to the west and Longport Street to the north.
The aim of the master plan is to advance the directions of the Marrickville Urban Strategy 2007 through the preparation of a plan which ensures that future development in the precinct is planned cohesively. The master plan will provide urban design and planning controls for the precinct that address the scale and density of development, local area traffic management, landscaping and public domain improvements and the mix of land uses.
The urban design firm Hassell Limited have been engaged to undertake the master plan which is anticipated to take four months to complete.
To inform the work of the consultants Council is seeking submissions from the community on what they see as the key issues regarding future redevelopment within the precinct. Comments received will be used in the development of a draft master plan which will be subject to further community review.
A copy of the project brief and supporting documentation including the Marrickville Urban Strategy 2007 and Marrickville Employment Land Study 2008 can be viewed on Council’s website at www.marrickville.nsw.com.au. Submissions marked ‘McGill Street Precinct Master Plan’ are invited and can be mailed to the General Manager, Marrickville Council, PO Box 14, Petersham NSW 2049; faxed to 9335 2029; or emailed tocouncil@marrickville.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions will be received until 5pm on 18 August 2009.
For enquiries phone Colette Goodwin, Executive Planner, Planning Projects on 9335 2188.
Text of Letter sent to Marrickville Council 16.8.09
Re: The McGill Street Precinct Master Plan
As a home owner within the boundaries of the area involved, I welcome the opportunity to comment on the Master Plan.
Given the nature of the surrounding suburb(s), and the busy major highway of Old Canterbury Road, I hope that any plan prepared by the Urban Design firm, Hassell Limited, will be bold and attractive, with the following features:
*Medium density buildings on the Old Canterbury Road frontage, in keeping with existing dwellings.
*Any apartment blocks on the site to be limited to 3 storeys and situated towards the back of the site bordering the railway line and Hudson Road.
*The inclusion of small shops/cafes to cater for the expanded number of residents within the development, as a supplement to local shopping centres at Summerhill, Leichhardt Market Town, Petersham, etc
*The inclusion of landscaped spaces to soften the harshness of bricks and mortar.
I hope that Council, in cooperation with its urban design consultants, will resist the trend to cram the site with high rise flats plus large retail outlets as suggested in the proposal from Demian Constructions. Such overdevelopment would destroy the entire aspect of the area, and increase traffic flows to unbearable levels on Old Canterbury Road and surrounding streets.
Please, don’t miss this opportunity to replace the McGill Street Precinct with a plan that complements existing structures, yet offers pleasant living conditions for those who will eventually join the Lewisham community.
Yours sincerely
Miss M.I Rea