Residents of one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs have been left furious after a court ruled that a 117-year-old federated home can be demolished and replaced with a three-storey apartment building.
The $7 million, five-bedroom building at 92 Raglan Street in Mosman on the city’s north shore has stood since 1906 but is now set to be converted into a $4.2 million block of units.
Mosman City Council had rejected a development application for the three-unit building, but an appeal by the developer was upheld by the NSW Land and Environment Court last Tuesday.
The apartment block will consist of three three-bedroom units, each with an outdoor terrace and an open-plan living and dining area.
An underground car park with six spaces will also be built.
The council had received 96 submissions from residents, most of whom opposed the development of this “eyesore”.
“The house is a historic and wonderful place in the urban landscape, and I fear this will open the floodgates for more beautiful old suburban homes to disappear in the name of ‘progress,'” said one local.
“What an absolute farce!”
The five-bedroom, $5 million building at 92 Raglan Street in Mosman on Sydney’s north shore has stood since 1906 but is now set to be converted into a $4.2 million block of units.
Another Mosman resident said: ‘This 1906 beauty appears to be in good condition and well maintained, making a significant positive impact on Raglan St and the suburb as well.
“It has a lot of character and is in keeping with the streetscape and heritage of our neighbourhood. I am strongly opposed to its demolition and replacement with something that is not in keeping with Mosman’s traditional architectural styles.”
A woman who lives next door to the house said the development not only affected the aesthetics of the neighborhood, but also disrupted her privacy.
“I think it is sacrilegious that it is being considered for demolition to be replaced by a soulless apartment block which will be detrimental to the unique streetscape of Raglan St,” he wrote.
The image shows an artist’s impression of what the apartment block will look like.
‘Personally, as the resident most affected by this development, it will have a seriously detrimental effect on my privacy, security and quality of life with the potential to negatively impact the valuation of my property.’
A fourth simply added that the proposed apartment block “looks like a car park or a toilet block”.
A Mosman City Council spokesman said the development application was approved by the court “following significant modifications to the design” at the council’s request.
“This included increased building setbacks, height reduction and floor plan reconfiguration,” the spokesman said.
‘Taking into account the concerns raised by neighbours about the rejected original design, the Council invited all objectors (80) to address the Court about their concerns during the Hearing.
‘However, no objector decided to approach the Court.’
The house at 92 Raglan St, known as Gargrave, consists of two floors, a swimming pool and a wraparound terrace.
The home at 92 Raglan St last sold for $5 million in February 2019
Neighbors are furious about the demolition of the Federation-style house
It last sold for $5,325,000 in February 2019.
When the news broke that the house had been approved for demolition, neighbors were quick to express their displeasure.
“These types of homes are what make suburbs like Mosman unique. As a former architect, now a builder and proud Mosman resident just a few doors down, I can’t express how saddened this makes me,” one said on social media.
“Why demolish this beautiful piece of history to make way for a project that can be found in literally any other suburb in any other part of Sydney? I am shocked, upset and angry.”
“The architecture of the Federation has a grandeur that modern architecture doesn’t have. Most of the new buildings look more like offices than homes,” said another.
“Soon Mosman will be just another suburb with big blocks of flats, no gardens, just suburbs, all the charm lost except the sea around us,” one person said.
Toni, who has been there for a long time, previously told Daily Mail Australia: “We don’t want tall buildings. They keep knocking down Federation houses, and for what?”
“They don’t have to tear down our old houses. It’s our history. They’re making everything look like metal and plastic.
“I’m sorry, but developer profits aren’t worth our story.”
Neighbour Craig Meade said of the heritage building: “If the house has been there for 117 years, then it should be there for another 117.”
Neighbour Craig Meade (right) said the 1906 house should be left as is, while neighbour Richard Lipscomb (left) said the development was key to Mosman’s increasing value.
Locals said the 117-year-old house on Raglan St (above) is part of the harbourside suburb’s history.
Another resident called the demolition a “disgrace.”
“It’s a building that has appreciated in value. We already have a lot of development and huge houses,” they said.
“It’s just unattractive. I’m always driving down the street and I see cranes everywhere.”
Local resident Pauline said new developments around Mosman were not sustainable as there were too many people trying to cram into a small area.
“There are too many people, too much traffic. It’s unbelievable,” he said.
‘I used to want to come to the local beach, Balmoral, at weekends. It used to be fantastic.
‘I’m not against people coming to the beach, but now it’s getting so ugly with all the cars and people that you can’t move.
“There is space for people to come and visit, but there is not enough space to live.”
However, some locals said that not every home is more important than housing construction.
“Just because a house is old and well maintained is not a sufficient reason to justify its preservation. Any protection of heritage carries with it an immense opportunity cost,” wrote Will Solomon.
‘While it is important to preserve outstanding examples of historic styles, it is unrealistic to expect conservation standards to be so low that all houses like this one are protected.’
‘In a city crippled by a housing affordability and availability crisis, it’s a very insular thing to suggest that the cultural value of this architecturally mundane structure outweighs the material value of more housing.’
Mosman resident Richard Lipscomb said he saw “no problem” with the change in atmosphere in Mosman.
“Mosman has a long history of development,” he said.
‘Everyone comes to the neighborhood and spends their money on improvements.
‘Properties that were worth half a million ten years ago are now worth two million.
“I am in favor of development.”
The house was first built in 1906 and has five bedrooms and a swimming pool.
