Temple windows would overlook school
Concerns for nearby schoolchildren about the impact of a proposed 15 metre, four-storey Hare Krishna Temple in North Sydney have been raised by the Department of Education.
The temple, at 180 Falcon Street, would be significantly higher than the current building, and have views of the nearby North Sydney Boys High School, which is on the opposite corner.
A spokesperson for North Sydney Council told NL that ‘concerns (had) been raised about traffic, noise and scale of the development’ during the exhibition period.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) requested a height variation in relation to the roof, including five dome-shaped features that stretch to 15.29 metres, exceeding council’s 12-metre maximum height.
The Department of Education suggested that noise mitigation be enforced during construction to ensure student learning at North Sydney Boys High School was not affected. It also suggested that site vehicle movement be avoided 30 minutes before and after school start and finish times.
Full-length windows planned for the Temple without privacy screens across four levels of the building overlooking the school also concerned the department.
Council said of the 38 submissions received, ‘numerous’ supported the temple. Some local residents stressed the positive impact ISKCON had on the community, providing free meals for the homeless and those in need.
The Temple consists of a temple hall, altar and associated worship rooms, and four basement levels of parking.
The building would be clad with Jaisalmer sandstone, a yellowish-beige sandstone found in the
Thar Desert region in Rajasthan, Western India and also known to be high strength yet lightweight.
According to records, the site was originally the location of Burnbank Cottage, a Victorian Georgian-style sandstone cottage that dates back to the 1850s. It was owned by a funeral company from 1935 until 1984, when it was converted into the only ISKCON temple in Sydney.
The Temple operates seven days a week, from 4.30am to 9.15pm, with 12 annual religious festivals with up to 330 patrons in the evening.
The North Sydney Local Planning Panel will determine the application due to height breaches.
ISKCON was contacted for comment.