After two years of legal wrangling, the Pathways seniors development on Parraween Street in Cremorne has been approved – despite North Sydney Council’s concerns.
The State Government’s Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved the development on 4 April.
Skermanic now has the green light to construct three four-storey and one seven-storey building at 50 to 88 Parraween Street and 59 to 67 Gerard Street, at an estimated cost of $87.5 million.
North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker said she was disappointed that the commission did not request amendments to heights and setbacks in order to ‘improve amenity impacts’ on Parraween Street and adjacent homes.
“Residents also raised serious concerns about how construction and construction traffic will be managed,” Mayor Baker said.
“And although the IPC recommended a condition of consent that community consultation be part of any traffic management plan, these impacts remain largely unaddressed.”
Fiona Gracie, founder of the Cremorne Conservation Group (CCG) told North Shore Living it was ‘pleased’ with the development’s approval, but questioned whether the construction’s expected 18-month time frame was achievable.
“Access to senior housing has become a key issue on the Lower North Shore, so the CCG is pleased Pathways (was approved),” Ms Gracie said.
“The conditions of consent from the Independent Planning Commission have taken into account the key concerns raised by the community and North Sydney Council.
“However, we do question how a major state development of this size can be completed within 18 months, as stated by the applicant at the IPC public meeting, given highly competent, well-known developers in the area building residential blocks on smaller lot sizes are taking between 24 to 48 months to complete.”
The Pathways project includes 41 residential care facility beds in building one, and 58 independent living units in buildings two, three and four. Six heritage-listed cottages at 78 to 88 Parraween Street will be adapted and incorporated into building one, which will transition to four storeys behind the heritage listed cottages.
Buildings two and three are four- storeys tall, and building four fronting Gerrard Street has been reduced from eight to seven storeys.