After three years, 13 different designs and $8 million in
fees, the city’s largest planned residential development has been declared a
project of “state significance.
“I walked through the site last Friday and looked at
the models and I thought, I have to call this in, its crazy,” Mr Sartor
said yesterday.
His decision has outraged Ms Moore, who claimed owners
Fosters were just about to sign off on a deal with council.
“The reason for this intervention is so the State
Government can get its hands on at least $30 million from this development in
this blatant cash grab,” Ms Moore said.
She said the Government had been involved in the planning
through the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CPSC) and by “condemning
the process they are condemning themselves”.
Ms Moore said Mr Sartor had every opportunity to intervene
earlier through the committee.
“We’re on a slippery slope to slums of the
future,” she said.
Mr Sartor yesterday said he would not increase the number of
dwellings on the site – the equivalent of four city blocks.
He accused the council of imposing too many restrictions and
placing heritage orders on things not of heritage value.
He said the development would now begin within 12 months.
“The project has been tangled up in red tape at Town
Hall for three years,” Mr Sartor said.
He said the developer contribution would be no more than 3
per cent of the Broadway development value.
It would also add affordable housing in the Chippendale area.
Fosters spokesman Geoff Donohue told The Daily Telegraph
last week that the company did not want any more delays to the project.
Once approved, it was likely Fosters would sell the site to
a developer.
“The whole process has been a long process but it’s a
very huge and important site,” Mr Donohue said.
“The good thing is none of work we’ve done to date has
been lost,” he said.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,19544417-5001022,00.html