Tresillian DA provokes community concerns

A DA to install affordable housing at the old ‘Tresillian’ building in Shaw Street, Petersham, is attracting community concern.

The development calls for the rezoning of the building, located at 2-4 Shaw Street, to become a 60-room boarding house, a proposal which locals have called an “overdevelopment” of the site.

The Shaw Street Residents Action Group is a group formed in direct response to the DA application. The group has started a blog to keep residents informed about the DA and urges members to contact local council and state members to prevent the DA from being approved.

The group’s main concerns surrounding the development are a lack of off-street parking for the proposed influx of people, proposed rooms smaller than allowed by state planning, and concern over clustering of low-cost housing, which the group believes could change the character of the neighbourhood and local community.

The concerns over clustering of low-cost housing are due, the group says, to the site’s proximity to two other boarding house and social housing sites. All are within 320 metres of the proposed site.

“The state government put in a development control to try and get some more affordable housing in our suburbs and a lot of people are taking up that cause,” Marrickville Councillor Victor Macri said. “Part of the problem is that these room sizes are pared right down to the bone and in fact the DA actually contravenes that – a lot of these rooms are actually smaller.”

Cr Macri said he was aware the DA was causing a lot of unrest in the community.

“It has caused a real groundswell of community unrest, they are really up in arms about it,” Cr Macri said. “It’s probably one of the largest responses I’ve ever got since I’ve been on Council. I was bombarded by petitions, the works.”

“The proposal is for overdevelopment of the site and will have adverse effects on the surrounding area, particularly in terms of car parking, and possibly social and traffic impacts,” said one objector who did not want to be named. “The application is deficient as it has neglected to consider the proposal against the relevant planning documents, does not include necessary reports, and has not quantified, assessed or mitigated the areas of non-compliance with planning controls.

“The application must be refused by Marrickville Council.”

Cr Macri said it would be a shame to lose an iconic building like the Tresillian.

“The old Tresillian building is still substantially intact, quite a nice building and in the new LEP which is coming out, it is being proposed as a heritage item,” he said. “I think it would make a magnificent home.”

The DA is currently before Council and a decision is expected within the next two months.