Harold Park and Heritage Tramsheds Building a community campaign The Glebe Society is now able to say it has a strong and widely sup- ported community posi- tion on acceptable de- velopment for the Har- old Park and Tramsheds 3/2010 April/May 3/2010 site. This is set out in a resolution (see page 2) which rejects the pro- posal put forward by Just a few of the 200 people at St Scholastica’s. Photo: Phil Young the Government Archi- tect’s Office (GAO) in February and proposes, I accepted an invitation from Jamie Parker to instead, 15 principles designed to address speak at a public meeting held by the Greens at widespread concerns with that proposal. These Forest Lodge School on 12 April. This meet- principles establish a bottom line from which ing also had a very respectable attendance of we will assess future proposals and around around 130 residents. I distributed copies of which we will campaign as hard, and as long, the Glebe Society resolution and highlighted as is necessary. some of the most significant issues. Again, it was a very constructive meeting with a high de- Because the future development of the Harold gree of consensus emerging on core issues. The Park and Tramsheds site is of such importance Greens announced a set of six principles they to our community and to the City, we wanted wanted adopted by Sydney Council. As these a robust and inclusive process through which were all covered by the broader Glebe Society we could develop a credible response to the resolution, Jamie Parker moved that GAO proposal. We also need lots of local en- the meeting endorse the Glebe Society position. gagement in, and support of, a consensus com- As there had only been time to discuss some munity position, if we are to be successful in of the principles, this became a unanimous ‘in influencing the final outcomes. principle’ endorsement. Participants were also For these reasons we took a developing draft invited to send comments to the Glebe Society, resolution on Harold Park and the Tramsheds and many did. to three meetings of Glebe, Forest Lodge and Several amendments were made to the resolu- Annandale residents over the last two weeks. tion on the basis of the views put forward at this A meeting of Glebe Society members was meeting - most significantly relating to widen- held at Benledi on 8 April with around 40 to ing the traffic study and ensuring it included the 50 attending. This meeting allowed members impact on the Wigram Road/Booth Street inter- to assess the emerging Glebe Society position section and a stipulation that any commercial or before it was more widely tested in the com- retail development in the Tramsheds be small munity. It was a very constructive discussion scale and in harmony with the shopping strips and led to a few clarifying amendments to the in Glebe and Annandale. principles. The third public meeting was convened by the Glebe Society at St Scholastica’s on 21 April Search for a Secretary Continued on next page... We have not been able, to date, to replace our Secretary Liz Simpson-Booker, who resigned What’s coming soon at the end of 2009 after 10 years in the role. Saturday 8 May, 10am - Harold Park As the Society is involved in a number of sig- walking tour. See page 11. nificant campaigns and projects in 2010, this ongoing vacancy on the Executive is increas- Saturday 22 May, 11am - 3pm - Mitchell ingly difficult to manage. We appeal for any- Street Fair. See page 8. one who is interested in the role – or knows Late June - public meeting - Future develop- anyone who might be – to surface and talk to Glebe Society Bulletin ISSN 1836-599X ment of the Bays Precinct. See page 5. the President, Lesley Lynch, on 9660 5084. A publication of THE GLEBE SOCIETY INC PO Box 100 GLEBE 2037 www.glebesociety.org.au ... continued from previous page –having been at a Leichhardt Council the intent to finalise endorsement of the Harold Park campaign meeting. Meredith Burgmann was there resolution. This included putting a few for the City of Sydney as were several issues to the vote. and around 200 attended. The impor- of the planning staff. tance of this meeting was signalled by One important matter on which a vote the presence of our local member Verity There was a high degree of consistency was taken related to the inclusion of af- Firth who contributed to discussion as across the three meetings. The Glebe fordable housing (for teachers, nurses, well as the Mayor of Leichhardt, Jamie Society’s public meeting was conducted bus drivers etc). The Glebe Society Parker, who arrived for the latter part a little more formally because it was position of strong advocacy for this was overwhelmingly supported. It would be a great loss to our community if such Statement endorsed by a Public Meeting held at people are effectively forced out of the St Scholastica’s College, Glebe, 21 April 2010 inner city and this part of Glebe. Fortu- This public meeting of Annandale, For- sustainable result. The judging nately provision for affordable housing est Lodge and Glebe residents rejects panel is to include community rep- is City of Sydney, NSW and Federal the proposal put forward by the Gov- resentatives. government policy so this seems to be ernment Architect’s Office on 17 and 9. The Tramsheds - the heritage cen- an achievable outcome at Harold Park. 20 February, 2010, and requests a com- trepiece of the site - are to be re- The proposals around height of build- plete review of the controls for Harold stored to public and community use ings, density, amount and configuration Park implied in that proposal so that it by reimbursing the Pacing Club for of open space, traffic impact and exclu- includes the following objectives and money paid by them for its acquisi- sion of large scale retail/commercial ac- related planning principles: tion. tivities were all supported – albeit with Objective 1: Acceptable density Objective 3: Attractive, usable a number of clarifying amendments. and building height public open space We have put a lot of thought into de- signing a set of workable principles Planning principles: Planning principle: that will together reduce the height of 1 Limit building to the height of the 10. Design the 3.67 hectares (35% of building to acceptable levels both along cliff face at any point, or, in the the site) of Public Open Space to: the cliff face and the other perimeters, case of the perimeter, to the height visibly and coherently connect reduce the proposed density and deliver with other existing and proposed of adjacent buildings (excluding the on a reasonable quantum of new public open space (including proposed height of the cliff in The Crescent). open space. open space on the Crescent and the 2. Reserve at least 35% of the site as Hill); be safe and secure; be sunny While a small number of people have publicly owned, formally dedicated with minimal overshadowing, and argued for 100% of the site being de- Public Open Space managed by include active recreational areas clared public open space, a large ma- the City of Sydney Council. (The (including an all purpose playing jority supported our current proposal Tramsheds are not part of this 35%) field) that at least 35% be formally dedicated 3. Limit population density to what Objective 4: Safe, easy access, public open space under the manage- can be accommodated by building improved connections and ment of the City of Sydney. We have to the reduced height on the re- minimised additional traffic impact argued this more modest target, not only maining 65% of the site. on surrounding streets because we think it realistic and attain- Objective 2: Environmentally Planning principles able, but also because we think it a fair and appropriate balance between our sustainable, high-quality design 11.Vehicular access is to be via a need for more parks and playing fields reopened Canal Road and a new Planning Principles: and the pressure for more housing in the intersection at Minogue Crescent. desirable inner city areas such as Glebe. 4 Make all development, including Vehicular access is not, under any This will provide just over 3.6 hectares the renovated Tramsheds, sustaina- circumstance, to be across parkland. of public open space as well as allowing ble and energy efficient, and protect Fully assess the wider traffic im- for considerable additional housing. privacy, views and amenity. pacts, including the Wigram Road 5. Build all dwellings outside the 100- and Booth Street intersection in Some ideas and concerns could not be year flood limit. Annandale. translated into workable principles (eg 6. Restore the Heritage-listed 12.Improve connections with surround- some concerns about height of buildings Tramsheds and forecourt to include ing areas. and traffic flow) but can be addressed at (for example) community uses, 13.Encourage easy access for pedestri- the later DA stage of the City’s planning gardens and bird habitat. Any com- ans and cyclists. process. mercial/retail uses are to be small scale and in harmony with uses in 14.Provide adequate and appropriately There was lively discussion of our argu- Annandale and Glebe shopping located onsite parking, (including ment, expressed in principle 9, that the strips. for bicycles) for residents and visi- heritage Tramsheds should be restored tors to the site. Do not issue street to public and community use by reim- 7. Make provision for affordable parking permits to residents of the bursing the Club for what they paid housing.