Aged Care in the Inner West - 168 Norton Street, Leichhardt

Council Officers have inspected the vicinity - following our meeting I requested they look at the issue of pedestrian safety and vehicles turning into Macauley Street from Norton Street. Please see points A & B below.

With regard to the Panel Determination and Recommendation: I am advised there was a council traffic engineer present and they did provide verbal advice to the panel. From the public gallery, I only observed the consultation with the applicant’s traffic engineer.

With respect to financial contributions: S.7.11 (formerly S.94) contributions apply to the commercial component of the development. Development contributions are not applicable to the seniors housing component of the development. The S.7.11 contribution for the DA will be approximately $17,000. The VPA for this site, was a separate process.

Officers have advised this is the recommendation made by the Planning Panel to the Council’s Local Traffic Committee for their consideration: 

1 The possibility of a one-way circulation system for vehicles in the laneway.
2 The possibility of “shared way” treatments
3 The imposition of a maximum of 10km per hour speed limit for vehicles to improve the general safety, particularly for pedestrians, in and around the laneway.



Minutes of 4 July 2019 Inner West Planning Panel including audio recording and determination are at https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/about/the-council/inner-west-local-planning-panel/2019-planning-panel-meetings/4-july-2019-inner-west-planning-panel 

Please see point C below for response from officers to Panel recommendation on pedestrian safety:

A. Signage has been inspected and arrangements are being made to relocate signs to improve visibility to approaching traffic.
 
B. “Look Out before you step out “stencils have been installed on the footpath at the laneway intersection to improve pedestrian traffic awareness.
 
C. Re the Panel recommendations –
* Note that the traffic arrangements for the development were considered and endorsed by the traffic cttee at its December 2018 meeting.
* One-way traffic arrangements were not recommended to the committee to avoid increased traffic movements north bound in the lane which would create additional potential conflict at the laneway intersection with McCauley St where sightlines to pedestrians are limited by building alignment.
* All traffic exiting the development is required to utilise Carlisle St to the south for egress along which there is sufficient verge for pedestrian movement if needed to avoid vehicular conflicts.
* The developer is required to implement laneway widenings at the intersection with Carlisle St and at development entry/exit to provide laneway passing opportunities.
* The narrow width of the existing laneway already encourages a low speed environment, with low pedestrian and traffic volumes. The capital cost of implementing a ‘shared zone’ is difficult to justify under current and expected operating conditions.
* Speed zoning is not within Traffic Cttee delegation – jurisdiction of RMS

Re first dot point of Point C above: The Traffic Report and Requirements on the Developer were presented to the traffic committee on 1 December 2018. Please see report (which includes details of laneway treatment) Item No: LTC1218 Item 19 Subject: 168 Norton Street, Leichhardt (D/2018/490) - Development Application (Leichhardt Ward/ Balmain Electorate/ Leichhardt LAC) at: https://innerwest.infocouncil.biz/Open/2018/12/LTC_04122018_AGN_3665_AT.htm?fbclid=IwAR2CfLI2jgWYHn_L25HT0rq-dgsMyA6mX5mhXEFmGt1XwOOUBf2l8OAf5Mw#PDF2_ReportName_58154