The Entrance: Bent St unit development will transform suburb

Once built, this approved $14 million 50-unit development at Bent St, The Entrance will stick out like a sore thumb against its neighbours, which are almost exclusively single storey homes.

The heritage-listed 5 Bent St will share a fence line with this eight-storey development at The Entrance.

ONE of the last remaining stretches of “the old” The Entrance begins its high-rise apartment living transformation with the approval of an eight storey residential building among the family homes along Bent St.

Once built, the $14 million 50-unit development at 1-3 Bent St will stick out like a sore thumb against its neighbours, which are almost exclusively single storey homes.

Only next door, a restored 1930s Californian bungalow, with local heritage listing, will provide a stark contrast between the old and the new.

In a report submitted to Central Coast Council in June 2016, the developer Monitor Construction’s (sic) remarks that “while Bent St is currently characterized (sic) by low density housing … the development proposal meets the desired future character of the locality”.

3 Bent St, The Entrance will make way for an eight storey 50 unit development.

The development will consist of 41 two-bedroom units and nine one-bedrooms units, and includes two levels of basement carparking.

A developer snapped up both properties at 1 and 3 Bent St in 2016, paying $625,000 for each before lodging plans shortly after.

While the development meets the council’s future vision for the suburb it is those living in the present who are most shocked by its seamless approval.

Neighbour Andrew Ironside said he and his wife Desma had spent years painstakingly restoring and renovating their home to heritage specifications.

And yet it would now share a fence with an eight storey unit block. He said the contrast between the two properties would be galling.

1 Bent St, The Entrance will be demolished.

“It’s like (the council) want their cake and eat it too,” Mr Ironside said. “It doesn’t make much sense to us. Surely something three or four storeys would be more appropriate.”

“We outlined our concerns in a submission, as well as through our lawyers and we didn’t receive anything back. Nobody addressed any of our concerns.”

He said the couple had wanted feedback on design, overshadowing and even demolition of existing structures.

In light of the development approval, Mr Ironside called for the council to review the heritage listing placed on his own home, which had been renovated extensively since it was first built.