IMPORTANT: North Sydney Council - Have Your Say

North Sydney Council have put four design options forward for the Watt Park stairs community feedback. For ease of reference, I have combined the 'Indicative Materials and Elements' document information with each layout, so it is possible to get a feel for the visual impact of each option. I have also added notes where I believe misleading/untrue statements have been made in the 'Pros and Cons' section. My annotated versions can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SaveOurStairs/photos/?tab=album&album_id=355944941553939 (the new Save Our Stairs Facebook page - Photos - Have Your Say Options 1-4). The original documents can be seen on North Sydney Council's feedback page (https://yoursay.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/watt-park-stairs); my images are merely for additional clarification. Note: if accessing the North Sydney Council website on an iPhone/iPad device, the colour overlays may not display (please use a laptop/computer if possible so you can view the full details). Important Note: All of the proposed design options North Sydney Council have put forward at this stage still feature galvanised steel handrails, balustrades, and lighting (similar to the stairs at the bottom of King George Street - see the King George Street Stairs photo album on the Facebook page). Options 1 & 2 feature these handrails on both sides of the stairs, whereas Options 3 & 4 have these handrails on only one side. I have been informed that, although North Sydney Council was unwilling to put an option for conservation and sympathetic restoration of the existing stairs on the table at this stage, it is still possible to provide feedback that none of the currently proposed options are suitable. As such, for those wishing to pursue this course (I'm calling it Option 5), I've put together a draft letter below. Please note, if you wish to pursue this course: 1. Write a letter and send it via email to council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au; please also Cc me (dancerbelle888@hotmail.com) so I can ensure all feedback has been received by Council. 2. The draft letter below is simply a guide, you are free to use as many or as few points as you wish. However, if you would like to pursue the least aggressive option (conservation and sympathetic restoration), please include the following in your letter: - the fact that you are putting forward a 'formal objection' to the options North Sydney Council has presented thus far - the term 'conservation and sympathetic restoration' - what this specifically means to you (i.e., the current handrails must remain; paths can be resurfaced in the same material; etc.). Clearly NSC's definition of 'sympathetic' (which is what we've been asking them for all along) is still galvanised steel! Please feel free to download and use any photos from the Facebook page to support your letter/illustrate what you are referring to. - the reasons why you believe this approach is necessary - your name, email address or contact details, and whether you are a local resident, visitor, etc. Please note: all are welcome - whether you live next door to the stairs or visit the park twice a week for lunch, please ensure your voice is heard! Also to note: Council has written on the Have Your Say website: "If you have already made a submission and it's still RELEVANT TO THE OPTIONS, there is no need to re-submit". Aka, if you have already written a letter asking for conservation and sympathetic restoration, I would write another one; I believe this is their read-between-the-lines way of saying that they're not considering any previous feedback which isn't relevant to the options they have chosen to present (I will be asking them about this as well, as I was of the understanding that all feedback thus far was being taken into consideration as part of this consultation process). The closing time for feedback is midnight on Sunday, 11th March 2018. Please ensure you have your say well in advance if possible! I will keep everyone updated as to any developments via this website and the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurStairs/. Please feel free to contact me, should you have any questions. North Sydney Council will then meet and make a final decision, (hopefully) based on the feedback they have received. Thank you all for your commitment to this issue! The beautiful sketch on this post was kindly provided by renowned Lavender Bay artist Peter Kingston (copyright Peter Kingston, 2018; used with permission). Thank you Peter for your support for the stairs; and for inspiring me to keep pushing for a good outcome! ***** DRAFT EMAIL If you believe none of the Options (1-4) presented by North Sydney Council are satisfactory for the Watt Park stairs, please present some form of the following feedback. Add/delete as you wish; please enter your details in the square brackets at the end; and please check the formatting (this website doesn't allow bold or links!) ***** Dear General Manager, Mayor, and North Sydney Councillors, All of the options offered by North Sydney Council for the Watt Park stairs thus far are inappropriate. I formally object to North Sydney Council proceeding with any of these design options. North Sydney Council should be bound to listen to the community on this matter; as essential community consultation and notification were not performed prior to a contract being signed. Council should be aware that to ignore the community and proceed with a project on a public site, paid for with ratepayers’ funds, and previously approved by elected representatives (without proper community consultation) would be significantly more damaging than any financial losses Council may incur due to termination of contract. It is noted that both the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards are technical guidelines only unless enshrined in law (“Our Standards are voluntary documents which do not become mandatory unless they are referenced in regulation or legislation” - email from Standards Australia, 6th February 2018). That the BCA does not apply to a set of stairs that is not within or attached to a building was also confirmed by a staff member from the Australian Building Codes Board via a phone call to Belinda Campbell on Tuesday, 13th February 2018 at 4:45pm. Council should also note that the user group they are attempting to assist by building a new structure to AS 1428 (those covered by the Disability Discrimination Act) would be further endangered if using the existing routes to access these stairs (due to the natural topography of Lavender Bay). This user group already has a safer and more practical access route to Watt Park and the foreshore via Lavender Crescent. In terms of safety vs compliance, Options 1-3 will add between 28 and 33 new stairs overall, with some stair flights doubling in length (the maximum number of stairs in a single flight is currently 9; Options 1 and 2 are likely to include 18 stairs in a single flight). Increasing the height and distance of an unbroken fall (should a fall occur) will increase the risk of serious injury, including that of traumatic brain injury and death. The current configuration of fewer stairs and gentle inclines has also been reported to be much easier for senior members of the community and those with hip/knee issues to navigate. Honouring a deal with a construction company should not take precedence over the safety and concerns of the very community the Councillors represent. In terms of heritage, the options that have been put forward for the Watt Park stairs contravene the North Sydney DCP 2013; LEP 2013; and North Sydney Council’s Living with Heritage advice. North Sydney Development Control Plan 2013 (Part B, Section 13, Heritage & Conservation): “Council will work to protect North Sydney’s heritage by: (e) Not supporting developments that remove or significantly reduce the heritage significance of any heritage item (g) Acknowledging and protecting the setting of heritage items”. Watt Park is part of a Conservation Area; and the stairs are immediately adjacent to Bellarion Court (23 Waiwera Street), which is a locally listed heritage item. Additionally, the two rock cut cisterns in the Aboriginal shelter (as acknowledged by Council’s brief heritage overview) are believed to potentially be of State Heritage significance (as per the Office of Environment and Heritage). An application has been made, and is currently in progress, to list these items on the State Heritage Register. As per Council’s DCP statement above, it is their duty to protect these items (and, as stated later in the same document, “This Section of the DCP applies to: (a) properties that are individually listed as heritage items; (c) properties and structures [stairs] within heritage conservation areas”. The stairs (although not a listed item themselves) should therefore be protected by the DCP; and form part of the curtilage of the area which is in close proximity to one listed item, and another two items that are likely to be listed in the near future. Curtilage, as defined by the NSW Heritage Manual, is “The geographical area that provides the physical context for an item, and which contributes to its heritage significance.” Additionally, to my knowledge, Council has not completed any Heritage Impact Statement regarding the impact of the proposed works on Bellarion Court. This is despite residents officially notifying Council of their concerns regarding the impact of proposed works on their building weeks ago. To date, issues such as site drainage have not been addressed. Still in Part B, Section 13 of the DCP: “Objectives O1: Ensure that new work is designed and sited so as not to detrimentally impact upon the heritage significance of the heritage item and its setting. Provisions P1: Respect and respond to the curtilage, setbacks, form, scale, and style of the heritage item in the design and siting of new work.” Building a higher staircase with double the number of stairs, which is more angular in nature and made of concrete and hundreds of metres of galvanised steel handrails and balustrades does not respect the curtilage, scale, and style of Watt Park, nor the 1928 Spanish Mission style Bellarion Court that is less than 5 metres from, and directly overlooks and is overlooked by, the current stairs. Additionally, the current stairs have clearly been designed to blend in to their environment: following the natural curve of the land, with sandstone treads and retaining walls, and wooden handrails (as can be found throughout the area) painted cream to match the nearest building. As such, one notices the environment. As is evidenced by the jarring King George Street and harmonious Watt Park stairs, existing in harmony with the surrounding environment is clearly a better alternative than stairs that have been designed to provide “clear distinction between new and existing elements” (a positive, in the eyes of the architect responsible for designing the current Options). Under the DCP Part C, Section 9: Lavender Bay Planning Area, 9.9.3 Statement of Significance, it reads: “The Lavender Bay Conservation Area is significant: (c) for the natural topography of rock escarpments modified with steep pathways and sandstone retaining walls and the remnant Victorian plantings.” Hence, this project is eroding the heritage significance of the area, as surely as they erode (‘regrade’) and fill in (‘infill’) the hillside to accommodate the levels of the new stairs (as per the architect’s For Construction plans). Conservation and sympathetic restoration of the current stairs is the only option that deserves consideration. This should be performed by qualified professionals (arborists and stonemasons); and allow Council to rest assured that the stairs are safe for the majority of users, yet retain the history and beauty the area is renowned for. A qualified stonemason has visited the Watt Park stairs site within the last month, and advised the following approach: The top flight of the stairs is stable, and together with the supporting walls, can be monitored. Riser heights for these stairs are normal, no need to alter. The wide short flights are less regular; however adjustments can be made where the stairs have dropped to maintain a more level set of treads. A few stones were seen to need further support (using a concrete footing). Near the Moreton Bay fig roots, an additional handrail in timber (to match existing) would keep walkers near the railing, away from the rootbound stones. Timber handrails were commented on for stability and good condition in general. Paths should be patched and resurfaced as necessary, using the same material (roughened asphalt), as it admits water to the roots and offers good grip even when covered with leaves. Taller flight on the bend: concrete/stone joints have moved. Remediation would involve removing concrete sections, checking the stability of that flight, and turning some sandstone steps (so they have a more consistent surface where some currently have worn edges). The previously repaired/extended concrete sections would be replaced with matching stones; as would any stairs that are considered to be too worn to retain. Final zone near the base of the stairs: this could be improved with a new stair segment, instead of the steep asphalt incline, to improve safety. Sandstone stairs to match existing. Check site every two years and report on the need for any adjustments. It has been advised by the stonemason that the cost of these repairs would be far less than Council’s projected $200,000+ budget for a new design. Unless Council is able to present irrefutable evidence as to why the points outlined in this letter should be ignored, Councillors are encouraged to vote against the current Options (1-4) when they next convene; and for conservation & sympathetic restoration, as outlined above. Councillors should also take into account previous feedback from the community over the past months (as of early January 2018). This includes numerous letters, phone calls, meetings, feedback from Precincts, and signatures & comments on the Save Our Stairs petition (which now has over 700 signatures, and is still growing: https://www.change.org/p/north-sydney-council-sos-save-our-stairs). I feel the Director of Open Space and the Project Manager have missed the mark; despite attending several meetings where the community asked for something that was in keeping with and sympathetic to the natural environment (and were particularly against concrete and steel), they have still offered galvanised steel as the only option for handrails and balustrades. North Sydney Council has undertaken some beautiful and sympathetic restoration in the area - notably the Lavender Bay Wharf and Doris Street stairs. They have also assisted in protecting Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden, a local treasure. There are no compelling reasons as to why the Watt Park stairs should not have a similarly positive outcome; this area is very well loved by the community and visitors alike, and deserves North Sydney Council’s respect and careful consideration. I thank you for your attention to this important matter. Regards, [Your Name] [Resident/Community Member/Visitor/etc.] [Your email address or contact details] *****