We are residents of the neighborhood using Riverina Road to access our street, as well as the Riverina Road Nature Strip for daily walks and exercises.
After reviewing the plans and documents available on the Banyule council website, we would like to express strong concern about the proposed development at the above address with the proposed entry from Riverina Road.
Please refer below for the summary of our concerns:
The new development negatively impact the Neighbourhood Character:
1. Scale of the Development in incremental Zone–
o The house is advertised as a four-bedroom home; however, the first-floor retreat is the size of a typical or large bedroom and can be easily converted into a fifth bedroom).
o This development size on a 350m2 small block is characteristic for inner city suburbs, but not for the GRZ3 planning zone with typically 700m2 blocks and a recommended minimum of 500m2.
o The development is for 2 storey at the rear when there is predominantly open garden and single stories adjacent.
o It is difficult to access the plans as the North points on the plans including over shadowing diagrams are different to the title information.
2. Removal of existing Native & Substantial Canopy trees
o Design Response does not provide any photos information of Riverina Road which the bulk of the development occurs
o The removal of 3 large canopy trees will result in substantial detriment to the streetscape. views from Reichelt Avenue & Riverina Road creating an undesirable vista to traffic on Bolton Street and the Main Road.
o The opening will increase street noise to residential streets.
o The proposed land size of 350m2 and design response does not allow for the planting of replacement native trees with adequate tree protection zones to reach maturity. This is against council policy and arborist report.
3. The street setback objective –
o The proposed dwelling does not comply with the street setback objective.
o Currently there are no dwellings addressing the Northern side Riverina Rd rather an uninterrupted vegetated reserve.
o Riverina Rd is the only access point to approximately 35 dwellings along Reichelt Avenue with typical 6m setbacks. The proposed development front set back is 3m.
4. New crossing
o The reserve is a community asset that cannot be reinstated ever again.
o Non-typical length of driveway negatively affects street reserve by restricting future planting possibilities.
o There no provision for guest onsite parking. There is no street parking on Riverina drive at the moment. Parked guest or resident’s cars on nature strip will have detrimental effect on both street appearance as well as being hazardous for pedestrians.
o creates risk for public and traffic safety, there is no provision on site for front car entry & exit therefore cars will be reversing on unusually long driveway.
o The proposed driveway would have to be extra wide to address emergency and delivery vehicles this will again negatively impact the neighbourhood character
o There is inadequate information provided on the plans and design response to assess the necessary civil works alterations required to build the long crossover through the steep road reserve
I hope that our concerns will be considered in council’s response to this application.
Please let us know if you would have any further questions.
