'Dellina Palm Cottage' – 87 Bowden Street Meadowbank was recently sold.  The ad read “One of the finest examples of Circa 1900 architecture in the best Californian Bungalow tradition. Loads of charm, character & potential - large double sized bedrooms, full brick & slate construction, high ornate ceilings, original fireplaces + grand entrance to 'gun barrel' hallway.  Boasting 2 street frontages and situated on an impressive garden block of 986 Sqm (approx). A unique opportunity for those seeking the 'grand homes' of days gone by…. “.  The house was bought by a developer who wants to rip it and an adjoining 1940’s workers’ cottage down. Many letters of objection have been submitted to Council. Can you please help us stop this demolition?  We would appreciate your help by signing our electronic petition so we can present this to Council on Tuesday night.  Please do it right now? The residents of the surrounding area are fighting against the proposed demolition.   The area is residential and not zoned for commercial buildings – it is up for consideration by Ryde Council next Tuesday 23 February at 7pm Council Meeting – if you can come along and support us please!  The 30 strong residence committee are available to meet with the developer and would like the house to be renovated in a sympathetic manner to meet the child care centres needs – we don’t believe this area could withstand a 90 seat centre, however a 40 seat boutique centre could work.  There are 3 other child care centres within walking distance of the house.  The developer doesn’t want to meet with us and has declined at least 2 opportunities to meet with Council and instead has lodged a case with the Land and Environment Court.  The proposed development will occupy a full footprint of the two blocks, it does not meet many major requirements of Ryde Council’s specifications (height, commercial structure, footprint, overshadowing, size, etc.) but despite this the Planning Committee has previously recommended its acceptance.  We are not against development nor child care centres.  We are strongly opposed to this development in this location. The developer knew he was buying history.  We’d add, the house has a multi layered original slate roof, high ornate ceilings, multiple chimneys and fireplaces, large rooms and wide hallways, sitting on a double corner block with a beautiful garden containing 10+ old large trees and large green space.  The house is enclosed by its period brick fence and a mature hedge on two sides.  It loved by those who live in the area and beyond.  There are two historic churches at diagonal corners also sitting on large blocks with large garden areas.  It sits well in its position. Bowden and Macpherson Streets, Constitution Road and many other surrounding streets, are heavy traffic areas experiencing daily traffic gridlock from 7am-10am, and from 3pm-7.00pm –  traffic is unbearable now.   The local roads provide a rat run from Silverwater to Gladesville, an alternate route to Victoria Road.  Street parking is virtually impossible, due to local TAFE College, train and ferry traffic and the ongoing 1,700+ unit development at Shepard’s Bay.  Bowden Street provides the only right hand turn onto Victoria Road for many miles in either direction – the proposed development is planned for the centre point of this existing chaos.  It’s already too dangerous for our schoolchildren to cross any of the local streets unaccompanied.  This proposed development is wrong in so many ways.  It will destroy our enjoyment of life, destroy our local heritage and replace it with an eyesore.  To lose 87 Bowden Street would be horrific. To further lose the flora and fauna for an eyesore is criminal and irresponsible.  Many letters of objection have been submitted to Council. Can you please help us retain some semblance of Community and lifestyle?  We would appreciate your help by signing our electronic petition so we can present this to Council on Tuesday night.  Please do it right now?