Frenchs Forest town centre plan: Dozens of homes, church and cop shop to be demolished
Startling details have emerged about plans to bulldoze homes, church and a police station to create the new Frenchs Forest town centre.
Manly
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Dozens of properties including about 30 houses, a police station and a church will be bulldozed — or parts of the land resumed — to make way for a new town centre at Frenchs Forest.
The houses will be compulsorily bought up by the NSW Govenment to allow new roads and intersections, the widening of existing roads, more public open space and bigger parks.
Details of the plans were revealed in documents shown to the Northern Beaches Council meeting on Tuesday night.
As well as home being emolished, the police station on Frenchs Forest Rd would go along with the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church on Forest Way.
But angry locals told the council they were upset at just learning about the demolitions and confused about when their properties will be bought off them without their consent.
The NSW Government is transforming the centre of Frenchs Forest, just west of the Northern Beaches Hospital. A well as a new commercial strip, it have apartment blocks up to 12 storeys high.
The “Frenchs Forest Place Strategy 2041”, which includes 5360 new homes, was given the NSW Government tick of approval just before Christmas, 2021.
It is the first phase of a three-stage redevelopment — designed to incorporate the Northern Beaches Hospital precinct into the suburb — to be rolled out over the next 20 years.
As part of phase one there will be 1000 new medium and high density dwellings in the new town centre — based around the site of the current The Forest High School — and another 1000 homes in nearby residential areas.
It has already been confirmed that the high school will be demolished and rebuilt at Allambie Heights.
About 1.5 hectares of new public open space, including a 1665 sqm plaza, will be created and the council will upgrade three local parks – Brick Pit, Akora and Rabbett reserves.
Developers will be levied as part of Special Infrastructure Contribution,
Details of the compulsory acquisitions were contained in the draft Frenchs Forest Town Centre Contributions Plan, that forces developers to pay a levy to help provide up to $37.3 million for new infrastructure.
The plan, which had been on public exhibition between March 18 and May 1, identified “local infrastructure required to support development” in the new town centre including new roads; widening of Frenchs Forest Rd West/Naree Rd; an intersection upgrade of Naree Rd with Forest Way; the closure of Russell Ave, the extension of Naree Rd to Grace Ave and: an extension to Holland Cres.
Three homes in Karingal Cres will be acquired to expand Akora Reserve and one property on Rabbett St to increase the size of Rabbett Reserve.
Gail MacDonald, owns two properties in Grave Ave and has lived in the street for 35 years, pleaded with the council to help stop the acquisition of part, or all of her properties.
Ms MacDonald fears that a huge portion of her land will be grabbed to make way for way for a new four-lane road linking Naree Rd to Grace Ave.
She has been told it’s a State Government decision, but told the council that few people know about the plans.
““They’ve asked to take 38 sqm from the front of my house, which means my kitchen, my bedroom … they’re going to destroy my garden.
“This is four lanes in front of my house.
“You need to put a recommendation that (the State Government) don’t implement this.
“It’s destroying our village.”
“I’m begging you, do something about this. Please do something.”
Micheal Jones, who own a property in Karingal Cres, asked the council why he, and his two neighbours, had only received a letter from the council, advising of potential State Government acquisition, on March 22.
Mr Jones said he had been in the process of selling the property but had not received any previous information that his land could be bought out.
“We’ve had no information or advice on when this acquisition may take place. It could be next month, it could be in 10 years time.
“We want answers”.
Cr Korzy suggested that the council set up a community reference group for residents to be kept up o date on the ongoing planning process and acquisitions.
“There is clearly a lot of concern in the community about what is going on in Frenchs Forest.
“I think it’s the least we can do, when there is distress in the community, is to be transparent with them.
“People are living in a stare of uncertainty and it’s ongoing.
Cr Vincent De Luca said there was uncertainty around compulsory acquisition of property.
“Some people think their houses are going to be rezoned to high-rise.”
The reference group amendment was defeated.
Cr Jose Menano-Pires pointed out to the council that the town centre proposals had been “going on for well over seven years and been consulted to death”.
LIST OF POTENTIAL FULL OR PARTIAL PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS:
NSW Police station at 137-139 Frenchs Forest Road West (Full acquisition)
Christian & Missionary Alliance Church at 21A Forest Way (Partial)
28 and 30 Forest Way (Full)
23 Forest Way (Partial)
16 and 26 Holland Cres (Full)
141, 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, 153 and 155 Frenchs Forest Rd West (Partial)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 Naree Rd (Partial)
15 Rabbett St (partial)
34, 36 and 38 Karingal Cres (Full)
32 Rabbett St (Full)
41 and 43 Grace Ave (Full)
40, 42 and 45 Grace Ave (Partial)
500C, 520 and 524 Warringah Rd (Partial)
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