North Parramatta: Boarding house planned for 5 Buller St
A contentious plan to build a boarding house in a family-friendly neighbourhood in North Parramatta has emerged again, despite being rejected the first time. Find out a panel’s decision.
Parramatta
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Families that raised concerns that a 14-room boarding house at North Parramatta will threaten their neighbourhood can breathe a sigh of relief for now after a planning panel deferred the decision.
Under a plan lodged with Parramatta Council, the boarding house with eight car spots is planned for 5 Buller St and was recommended for refusal for being inconsistent with its planning controls and the state’s environmental planning policy.
However, the applicants are appealing the decision.
Last week, the issue was discussed before Parramatta planning panel, which heard from the public and the applicants, listed as Think Planners.
Three residents spoke against the three-storey development.
Dad Daniel Prior has concerns about the tenants who would move into the family-friendly neighbourhood mainly filled with freestanding houses, townhouses or duplexes.
“I’m the father of young kids and studies have been conducted on the typical residents of these boarding houses … with high numbers of people with psychiatric disabilities, histories of institutionalisation, (they) can be socially isolated (and) relying on welfare,’’ he said.
“Just for the sake of my young children playing in the courtyard and the boarding house being three storeys and having a clear view of my backyard, I don’t feel my children will be able to play in the backyard without potentially being viewed from that point.
“The area’s culture is mainly young families and it doesn’t suit the culture of what we currently have in place.’’
But Think Planners director Adam Byrnes said an appeal had been lodged with the council and the boarding house warranted approval.
He dismissed concerns about flooding on the site.
The panel unanimously decided to defer the decision so it could attain legal advice, documents from Think Planners and address errors in a council report.
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