Development concerns in Abbotsford

Abbotsford Bay residents will be forced to defend their foreshore park into being turned into a driveway, under new development plans for an eight-storey building.

Residents are concerned about the loss of public access to the Parramatta River that the waterfront park currently provides.

The development at 22 Walton Crescent proposes that 80 per cent of the park be turned into a “public road” leading directly to the building’s underground carpark.

The council refused the application, and the matter is now in Land and Environment Court, continuing in a conciliation process between the council and the developer.

The $7.1 million proposal submitted in September last year doubles the council’s 8.5 height limit for buildings, submitting plans for a 17.2m tall building with 12 units and 35 underground carparking spaces.

Previously in 2010, the same developers submitted a four-unit development which involved the use of the park as a “public” road, but the development was never built. This resulted in the council’s approval lapsing in 2015.

Under the initial approved plans in 2010, Canada Bay Council expressed support for the plans, agreeing to build the road as long as the developer paid for it and it be classified as for “public use”.

Residents have spoken of the park’s community value, as a place for families, dog walkers and fishers to gather.

Originally intended for use as a bridge of the Parramatta River, the park was later rezoned as a RE1 public recreation space.

For more details on the development, head to Canada Bay Council’s website here:

https://eservices.canadabay.nsw.gov.au/eProperty/P1/eTrack/eTrackApplicationDetails.aspx?r=P1.WEBGUEST&f=%24P1.ETR.APPDET.VIW&ApplicationId=DA2017/0384