Councillor Vince del Gallego
Hornsby Council’s draft Community and Cultural Facilities Strategic Plan 2020-2030 specifies the need for a 1000 sqm Library to service Cherrybrook and surrounding residents. Yet, it already designates Cherrybrook Station Precinct as the preferred location, working with Landcom (Developers) and Hills Shire Council to make this happen – sometime in the future. That is an absolute shame as it puts the future of our library under Developers’ whims!
A well-planned library must provide service desks, collaboration spaces, and technology access points. Modern, state of the art, centrally located, budgeted for, to be built at a pre-determined future date – independent of Developers’ whims or timelines!
Cherrybrook Station Precinct Library is a MASSIVE location mistake!
Earmarking Cherrybrook Station Precinct (SP) as a ‘preferred location’ is a massive mistake.
• Cherrybrook SP is in a remote, southernmost boundary of Cherrybrook, not readily accessible by residents from central & northern Cherrybrook, Oakhill and Dural.
• The precinct is limited in space, bounded by busy regional and local, narrow roads. Already, extremely congested during peak hours.
• Residents who are not within walking distance or live outside the precinct will need to take buses, which are not regular. We are all aware of the massive bus issues in & out of Cherrybrook Train Station.
• Residents who drive into the train station precinct do not have ample parking, only limited ‘off street’ parking and a parking station that is full by 7am (pre-Covid times) on weekdays.
• The train line must not be the only determination factor, as ‘Cherrybrook and other Hornsby residents, young, matured & retired’ some of whom do not take trains, will need ready access to this Library.
A preferred location must be thoroughly investigated to ensure ALL residents have easy access to the new library, in close proximity to:
• established child care/ pre-school centres, high schools & primary schools, parks, sports grounds, skating rinks, off leash dog parks, swimming pool, existing community centres, clubhouses, major shopping centre, restaurants/coffee/retail shops, real estate agents, dentists, medical centre, scout halls, rural fire service, pharmacists and other meeting places, such as the lakes of Cherrybrook, Apple tree community shopping centre, Greenway Park sports grounds and many more.
• established transport routes to other suburbs, including, to & from Cherrybrook & Pennant Hills train stations.
• more than ample parking for cars, buses, cycles, mobility vehicles during all hours.
• walking tracks that link all our suburbs to a central area.
Cherrybrook is a leafy, quiet and beautiful suburb. Residents may want a library, but not as a ‘gateway’ for Developers to build high rise apartment buildings in the precinct and destroy what we already have. This has been made well known to Landcom and Hornsby Council.
Whether you are against a future library at Cherrybrook Station Precinct or NOT, I would love to get your opinion. Please send me an email: [email protected] All the best and may you have a prosperous New 2021 Year.
