The proposed Housing Strategy is for 992 new dwellings for Asquith. Existing dwellings are roughly around 1200, so the increase represents around 80% on current levels. This is hardly the few mid rise developments you mention and will have a devastating impact on our village and way of life.

Both the F3 freeway and the proposed Housing Strategy have significant effects on Asquith traffic. The F3 decreases it whereas the Housing Strategy will increase it (and also the volume of shoppers, which benefits shop owners like yourselves). By almost doubling current density, the Housing Strategy will be bring the battle you have at Westfield to Asquith.

You say we should be grateful for Council’s proposal? But Council themselves admit they are forced into it by State Government. This begs the question: if it is such as good thing, why do they need to be forced to do it?

The main priority here is to fill quotas, everything else is secondary. How can this be a good thing if the main focus is to get as many runs on the board as possible in terms of new dwellings? Clearly the basic needs and rights of people in second place here.

Your argument is both self serving and flawed.

I notice no one is appalled by the Normanhurst shops, which aren’t too flash either. You know why? The residents there plan to keep them small since they realise expansion will affect their status as a neighbourhood centre, giving all the more reason for further highrise development, possibly attracting the interest of larger chain stores such as Aldi and Bunnigs . More shops need more people to provide custom, which in turn needs more dwellings. This is what Waitara provides Hornsby Westfield, a large local customer base to fuel the retail machine.

Take a look at the comments below from the Normanhurst site from Katherine 1 Apr:

In the hopeful event, that the proposal of highrise development in N'hurst is quashed, perhaps we should also be focusing on keeping the shopping precinct small to keep it as a "neighbourhood centre" so as not to upgrade Normanhurst to a "small village" (refer to previosuly mentioned documents by castle and junior). My understanding is that any enlargement of the shopping precinct could invite larger scale developments at a later stage. (People of Mount Ku-ring-gai take note with ALDI on your doorstep)! Perhaps we should suggest town houses or villas be built behind a revitalised (but small) row of shops and one or two levels of units above. There is reasonable amount of land at the back that could be put to better use and it does look a bit messy. I hope the same shop owners will be able to return also. We should NOT recommend in our letters to the mayor and councillors that the shopping precinct be lengthend/ enlarged (eg a row of shops along the back of where they are now). Just food for thought!

What would you like to see in a redeveloped Asquith Shopping Centre.

Personally I'd like to see some of those shops and services we've lost come back

- bank, video store, pizza place, pet shop (maybe)

And with some decent presentable shops and offices, why not

- a physio, a dentist

- legal services,

- serviced offices for local "home office" businesses to move out of home, but stay local.

- more specialist shops - model trains, crafts

- Local branch library

- Community Centre, with easy access for use by all the community

- childcare, public play space

and of course, some alfresco ding, cafe's etc!

And better premises for those businesses that have stuck it out in Asquith.

I have put a number of submissions to the council.

I share these with people for discussion, on a Wiki website www.hornsby.wetpaint.com. On this wiki website, if you join up, you can add your own pages and discussion too.

You don’t need to join up to view.

Look forward to your comments and contributions.

Richard Boult

RB1 - Asquith Shopping Centre – Council can and must be Pro-Active

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB1+-+Asquith+Shopping+Centre+%E2%80%93+Council+can+and+must+be+Pro-Active

RB2 - Suggested traffic control for junction of Amor St, Pacific Hwy, bridge ramp north

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB2+-+Suggested+traffic+control+for+junction+of+Amor+St%2C+Pacific+Hwy%2C+bridge+ramp+north

RB3 - Amelioration of increased Valuation and Rates problem.

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB3+-+Amelioration+of+increased+Valuation+and+Rates+problem.

RB4 - Draft 5 Storey Guidelines - Comments & Suggestions

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB4+-+Draft+5+Storey+Guidelines+-+Comments+%26+Suggestions

RB5 - Amelioration of Impact for some Asquith precincts

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB5+-+Amelioration+of+Impact+for+some+Asquith+precincts

RB6 - Additional Areas for Development, and some removals

http://hornsby.wetpaint.com/page/RB6+-+Additional+Areas+for+Development%2C+and+some+removals

I checked out the Asquith shops on Friday. From south to north:

* Elders Real Estate.

* Commonwealth ATM

* Home Brewing supplies.

* Lifeline Furniture

* Dance Away dance supplies

* Majestic Gardens Landscaping

* Sue Edwards Real Estate

* Vision Hair Design.

* Asquith Dry Cleaning.

* Louie’s Chinese Restaurant.

* Asquith Meat Market (Butcher, not the other)

* Douglass pathology

* Lifeline books, clothes

* Newsagent

* Pacific Café, eat in.

* Asquith Bakery

* Oasis Hair Design

* Aquariums Asquith

* Indian Restaurant.

* Marino’s Mens hairdressing.

* Upbeat Music & Tuition

* Wynston Blinds & Doors

* Asquith Gourmet Chickens & Salads, eat in.

* L Aurora Function Centre

* Curves Fitness

* Bibles for Missions, Op Shop.

* Thai Jumpa Restaurant.

* Italian Pasta and Pizza.

* Asquith Medical Centre

* Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop, inside and outside dining.

In addition, within walking distance:

* Post Office, directly opposite shopping centre in Amor St.

* KFC, directly opposite shops on Pacific Hwy.

* Dentists on Pacific Hwy, 100m south of shops.

* Vets on pacific Hwy, around 150m south of shops.

* Child Care Centre, on Pacific Hwy 200m north of shops.

I have lived in Asquith for the last 22 years and my wife for (if she'll pardon me) over 45 years.

We've brought up our family here and our children have happily attended the local Schools.

What a lot of you are saying is correct but in my opinion we need to get away from the idea of change purely for the sake of change and realise that yes change is for the most part inevitable and we as residents and ratepayers are entitled to have our say about what kind of change we want and have our say valued.

I have done several developments in the local area both residential and commercial, progress does not frighten me.

What does frighten me however is badly designed and implemented development that is destined to be a part of the community indefinitely.

Other places I have traveled in the world take a big picture view of high density development and restrict it to certain designated precincts and certainly don't mix high rise ad-hoc with suburban low rise this to me is a short sighted and lazy solution.

The Asquith shopping precinct is Ideal for a mixture of Retail/High Rise Residential and in the process would tidy up what has degenerated into an aged and inefficient use of a prominent zone. (No,I don't own any property there)

I am not a Town Planner but I would imagine that the use of precinct based areas bounded by designated streets would not only contain the developments in those areas but give a better understanding to residents of what was about to take place and ensure that a five story high rise was not about to built next to your 3 bedroom fibro home which real or imagined is what I hear is the biggest concern currently.

In my view there is no reason why some of the available areas can't be used more efficiently without causing concern and uncertainty in the community.

Mark Adams