Letter Of The Month: The Bronte RSL ‘Development’

By Gutless of Bronte on March 8, 2013 in Other

I have attended various community ‘meetings’ to show support for the residents that live close to the Bronte RSL site. I can understand their concerns and I know from previous experience that more heads in the crowd helps the residents’ position.

However, I have struggled to remain quiet while hearing the sometimes extreme opinions expressed by some residents and, conversely, hearing the developer talk like a politician – i.e. not answering questions with complete honesty and, in doing so, treating us like idiots.

I have succeeded in remaining silent and as you can see I haven’t even had the guts to add my name to the bottom of this letter!

I make the following comments, firstly with regard to some of the residents’ claims:?

1. The assumption that “nobody wants a Harris Farm or anything like it” – are you all living under a rock? Perhaps the people you are speaking to are all as brave as me and don’t want to say anything to upset you, but I have spoken to numerous people who look forward to the day it is opened. They are happy that they will no longer have to drive to Bondi Junction or similar.

2. Traffic generation – sure there will be some increase but nobody speaks of the decrease that will come from it. People who drive through Charing Cross to get to Bondi Junction now can make the much shorter trip to Bronte instead and this should result in a reduction in ‘shopping’ traffic heading west and north.

3. “Bronte is a peninsular” – really??

4. “Many nearby residents sat by and watched the RSL die” – and in many instances did not support it along the?way. What did you think was going to replace it?

5. “We do not need or want an ‘anchor tenant’ in that shopping strip” – these small ‘centres’ are struggling all over Sydney and many will head the way of Burnie Street, Clovelly, where many shops have been converted to residential or have become offices. I am not saying this is a bad thing (everybody will have a different view on that) but if you want a corner shop/ centre that can be nearby for papers, milk, fruit, cakes and pies, etc. then an anchor tenant is probably the only thing that will guarantee it. Otherwise that centre will slowly die or become a strip of real estate agencies, restaurants and coffee shops (can this area carry many more?) or more residential.

Secondly, with regard to the developer:

1. Your evasive answer to the question: “Why do you need to have Harris Farm or something similar?” – can you just answer “because it contributes significantly to the profitability of this proposal”? In fact, I think it is likely to be the underwriter of the development and provide most of your profit. By providing any other answer it just makes you sound dishonest.

2. Telling the residents that “we have designed a tower at the front – on Macpherson Street – to remove height and bulk from the homes in Chesterfield Parade?so as to not overshadow them or impact their privacy” is a ridiculous abbreviation of the truth. The ‘tower’ may provide that secondary benefit but building it as you say you could (i.e. boundary to boundary with no tower, etc.) would have a massive impact on the quality of the development as a whole. With a high tower all units will enjoy a view and most northern sun. With a lower boundary to boundary building most units will not have any view and will face inwards to a far less appealing centre courtyard.

Thirdly, with regard to Council:

The residents may think that they will have a victory if Council rejects this outright and is not prepared to consider any increase in the ‘current’ FSR (i.e. the size of any future development) from the current 1:1 ratio, but in my view that would be the worst possible outcome for the nearby residents.

Because of the size of the RSL block, the state government is likely at some point to be involved in this process and Waverley Council will need to justify their decision to them. No movement will be completely unjustifiable. We are told that the Eastern Suburbs is the worst serviced area in Sydney as far as access to supermarkets/shopping is concerned (based on commercial floor space divided by the number of residents in the geographic area). The reason that Harris Farm (and others) are looking for sites in this area is for this very reason – they know it will be a winner. The state government would therefore view any complete rejection as another example of the ‘gaol or airport position’ – everybody knows we need them, but nobody wants them in their backyard.

The councillors at Waverley Council will know this but may still be tempted to reject it outright. Why? Because they can then say to the ratepayers (voters): “look, it wasn’t our fault; we said no but the state government just ignored our concerns”. Sad, but true.

With regard to the development itself:

In my view the largest concern with this development by far is the access along Chesterfield lane for Harris Farm deliveries. I am not convinced, even after hearing the developer’s viewpoint on this matter, that it can be adequately handled. I can understand the concerns of every resident that currently backs onto that lane and I also feel for the people in Chesterfield Parade who are near the entry and exit points of Chesterfield lane.

And finally, with regard to the RSL (which is separate to the Bronte RSL Club Ltd):

Anybody who has fought for or served their country deserves our complete support and admiration. To all of those servicemen and women: please do not take these comments the wrong way.

The RSL have created this problem by insisting on maximum dollar for the property. They could accept a lower amount and place very strict conditions on what can and cannot be built on the land.

It should be noted that if the Bronte RSL Club itself had remained financially viable then all the RSL would have received from this property going forward would have been a fairly lowish annual income through the rent. Accordingly, the failure of the club has been a bonus for the RSL. It should also be noted that our club came into being, in the main, through donations of time, effort and money by Bronte locals, governments, etc.

I am disgusted by the RSL’s grab for cash without any regard for anyone else. The most disappointing thing is that I do not know how to pressure the RSL into being a better citizen. If I cancel my other RSL memberships and stop supporting those clubs it may result in more clubs dying, which in a very unfortunate way just drives the RSL’s grab for more cash as those clubs just end up getting sold for the highest dollar as well.

I know that if they were asked the RSL would say that they have a fiduciary duty to maximise their assets for the benefit of all returned servicemen/women. To that I would say: “Have you asked those returned servicemen and women if they want that approach, which will in some instances alienate local communities and individuals from the RSL movement?” I cannot believe that a majority of your members would be happy to shit on local residents from a height, which is what they are doing at Bronte.

Selling the Bronte land for less, with restrictions, will still result in a higher price than the recent sale price of the Kensington RSL Club and the likely future sale price of Clovelly.

The future:

I think the council should try and negotiate with the residents and the developer. The residents need to know that it is almost certain that they will not win completely. The developer needs to know that the council will not agree to its current proposal and if they don’t negotiate than the residents will up the ante.

One possible outcome could be to let the developer have the 2.1 FSR that it seeks but no large commercial space. This would mean a new club and a few small shops. RSl Club entry and residential apartment entry would be positioned to make it impossible for the shops to be combined in the future, which would mean no Harris Farm or similar but more apartments instead.

Another would be an FSR of 1.5 to 1 with a Harris Farm, but then you are still left with the vexing problem of Chesterfield lane.

Finally – and what I believe would be the best outcome – get the RSL to pull their head in and give something back ?to the community that has been giving to them for 70 odd years!