Long Jetty boarding house approved by Central Coast Council
Controversial plans to convert a former Long Jetty corner store into a boarding house have been approved by Central Coast Council.
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The proposed boarding house in Long Jetty which has received hundreds of objections has been given the go ahead by Central Coast Council.
At last night’s meeting, the council voted to approve the eight-room boarding house at the former corner store at 48 McLachlan Ave, proposed by Ellisons Capital Partners.
The DA passed with little debate, with Cr Rebecca Gale saying the coast needed more housing options.
Councillor Bruce McLachlan spoke against the proposal, saying the site was too small for a duplex let alone a boarding house.
The plan, valued at $758,000, has received community backlash since its first community consultation period in September 2019, when it received 169 objections and three petitions with 431 signatures.
Initial plans included modifications to the existing two-storey building which was once a focal point of the community in the 1970s. However the plans have since been changed to demolition of the building and a fresh construction on the 518sq m site.
The modified plans were exhibited in November 2019, and received 84 objections and 58 submissions of support.
The boarding house, designed for a maximum of 12 people, will be two storeys with a carparking area for four cars, two motorbikes and bicycle storage.
Each boarding room will have a kitchen, bathroom and laundry, while a communal room is proposed on the ground floor with a private open space area.
A manager’s unit is not included in the DA, with the boarding house to be managed through a local real estate agency. The aim is to house people over 55, key workers, self-funded retirees and people with disabilities.
Concerns raised by the objectors include increased petty crime and drug use in the area, the size of the site, insufficient carparking, noise, privacy issues and the development being out of character with the area.
In the DA, the developer states the development provides affordable housing options for the community, while maintaining and enhancing the residential amenity and character of the area.