Controversial Camden development rears back to life
People power drove the contemporary commercial hub away from Camden earlier this year, but plans for the controversial development have roared back to life once more.
Macarthur
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A controversial commercial hub proposed for Elizabeth St, Camden, has reared back to life after it was refused by the Local Planning Panel in May.
The proposed development was defeated after residents, community groups and councillors voiced their disapproval, declaring the planned building as being out of touch with Camden.
The developer, Graham and Sanders Pty Ltd, has requested a review of the decision while making significant changes such as halving the number of commercial tenancies and reducing the building size.
Directors Josh Graham and Blake Sanders grew up in the area and told the Chronicle they listened to the community’s concerns.
“We have gone back to the drawing board,” Mr Sanders said.
“We tried to come up with a different design, more sympathetic to the heritage of Camden and hopefully something that the community would be happy with.
“It’s about growing Camden and contributing to the community.”
Camden Residents’ Action Group president Glenda Davis said the changes, while positive, had
not gone far enough.
“It’s still completely non-compliant,” she said.
“It’s an improvement, no doubt, but we maintain that the developer needs to do what other developers have done and that’s to respect the scale and form of the existing cottages.
“A big office building of that bulk is just not right for the old town.”
The proposed commercial hub still exceeds the site’s 7m height limit by 3.3m.
The new plans are on exhibition until Thursday and are expected to return before the Camden Local Planning Panel by the end of the year.
