There seems to be less people at every meeting I attend, less staff from DPTI and Theiss York and less residents. The composition of people attending is forever changing, some seem to have given up as they have become sick of being fobbed off and others start coming as the project starts to affect them more deeply that they ever could have imagined it might. Last night's meeting could well be described as the one where no answers were given. We didn't get clarification about G-RAG's concerns from Open Day, we didn't get an answer about the Cowper Rd trees, we didn't find out if the temporary sound mitigation in Devon St was working and we didn't get an answer about the gate access on Cranbrook Ave.
We did get information on the vibration machine and an assurance it couldn't harm properties if it were > 10 meters from foundations and that they were aware that nearly all the houses are heritage properties; this seems to contradict what people are seeing and feeling. However, you can still seek a dilapidation survey of your home if you feel it is being affected.
Residents asked for parking control in Railway Tce between Devon St and Essex St with additional traffic direction at the corner of Essex St and Railway Tce. This may be achieved and also cause the trailer and junk parked in the street to be moved; this should increase safety for cyclists.
I did get an answer about dust and soil management although this is yet to be conveyed to the resident that requested the information. The corridor itself is contoured to minimise run off and water entering from the streets, most surfaces that are used regularly have hard stand installed and the surrounding streets are swept mechanically almost every day.
I feel especially for the residents in Richards and Nairne Tce who have remained so pleasant and polite through this process to get, so far, have gained little more than a promise to get a corrugated iron fence replaced with, you guessed it, corrugated iron. Once again this could easily be made higher than the standard 1.8m and have a little landscaping along the edge to soften the impacts at DPTI's expense.
Residents are also angry that the closure of Leader St for some time this week is failing to direct traffic to stay on the major arterial roads and increasing the traffic in local streets.
Jennie
ReplyDeleteWill you be going to the Mayor's wedding?
That's news to me, I thought he was married to Unley! However, given his continued support for my initiative and interest I'll stick near the letter box just in case!
ReplyDeleteYes, it seems to be true and congratulations are in order. I won't hold my breath until I get an invitation though.
ReplyDeleteGreat news - a corrugated fence being installed instead of the swimming pool style originally proposed is good to hear.
ReplyDeleteA soundwall isn't necessary - the train noise will actually decrease once the work is completed. A fence higher than existing will block the already precious sunlight coming into the houses in the morning (Nairne Tce) and evenings (Richards Tce). I say keep it as it is.
Landscaping? No thanks. This will just eat into valuable road space and require maintenance. Leave it as is.
I'm not a vocal resident, but I'm a resident and I'm happy with the decisions made so far. I don't expect to "gain anything".
Thanks for your support Jennie.
ReplyDeleteJames:
As a fellow resident, we will have to agree to disagree!
Sadly noise is not on the decrease. A key objective of this project is a freight volume increase of 90% by 2030, together with higher speeds (70km/hr) and longer trains (1.8km). The ARTC line is already in its final position and is actually louder than before partly due to uneven ballast - have you noticed the new thumping noise? True, the Seaford line will be quieter as a result of the electrification, but it's really the ARTC line that causes disruption.
I don't believe that landscaping will eat into existing road space if well designed and appropriate plants selected. With the new gantry style masts due to appear, our street scape will look rather unsightly. It would be nice to negate this with appropriate vegetation. I think as rate payers, some minor maintenance is not too much of an ask. A fresh colour bond fence is asking for graffiti, vegetation in front of it would act as a deterrent and eliminate the need for removal.
Personally, I don't currently experience the fence blocking the sun. If anything, in summer I find the hot afternoon sun bouncing off the rail corridor, metal fence and road quite uncomfortable. I agree an excessively tall fence would be ridiculous. As a guide, DPTI have proposed the sound abatement fence for Devon St around 2.7m / 3m in height.