Mosman resident Blair Topen distraught over State Government plans to destroy his garden for B-Line bus service

BLAIR Topen has spent 10 years creating a beautiful garden outside his home on Spit Rd. Now it’s under threat of being razed to make way for the State Government’s B-Line bus service.

Awaba St residents Blair Topen and Anthony Raymond are angry with plans to rip up their garden. Picture: Virginia Young

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Blair Topen has spent 10 years creating a beautiful garden outside his home on Spit Rd.

Now it’s under threat of being razed to make way for one of the State Government’s pet transport projects: the B-Line.

Planners want to build a new left hand turn bay at the corner of Awaba St to make way for the new bus route from the northern beaches.

And Mr Topen, who is paraplegic following a motorbike accident, is appealing to them to consider other options.

The B-Line bus service will travel between the northern beaches and the Sydney CBD.

“It’s just very stressful for me. I’ve had too many sleepless nights over this,” he said.

“It (the noise) will be much worse without all those trees. Incredibly hot and incredibly noisy.

“We don’t want to lose our garden.”

Mr Topen’s apartment is perfectly situated for him as it is near his family, friends and doctor. It also provides space for him to move around in his wheelchair and he has a view of the garden.

He is joined by his neighbours in his concerns over the project.

They have commissioned both a law firm and independent traffic engineers in a bid to stop the impending compulsory purchase.

The garden would be effectively sliced in half with about 75 square metres being sacrificed to the bus project.

“We really don’t want this in any shape or form,” said neighbour Anthony Raymond.

“We just want to carry on living here.”

A map showing some of the modifications planned for Spit Junction.

B-Line Changes in Neutral Bay.

Mr Topen doesn’t believe the left hand turn bay will make much difference to the traffic flow.

He believes installing a no left hand turn rule will solve the problem and that purchasing the garden would be an “expensive waste of taxpayers money”.

Transport for NSW said the new left turn bay would separate vehicles turning into Awaba St from buses travelling in the kerbside lane.

This would improve traffic flow and bus travel times.

“The area of land at 31-33 Awaba Street identified for acquisition is needed to allow the footpath to be provided around the new left turn bay,” the spokeswoman said.

COOLING OFF AUSSIE STYLE

It is understood that a left turn ban during the AM peak was considered by the project team but was not deemed feasible. This was because time-based left turn bans are often ignored by motorists.

Under the plan the existing pavement alongside the internal footpath and boundary wall of the unit complex would be demolished. Two mature street trees and plants inside the property would be removed.

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