Beacon Hill: Planning authorities reject ‘nonsensical’ 3-storey, backstreet childcare centre
Locals have fought off what they describe as a ‘nonsensical’ bid for a 92-place childcare centre on an already traffic gridlocked “nightmare” of a street on the northern beaches.
Manly
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Neighbours have repelled a “nonsensical” bid by a developer to build a 92-place childcare centre on a northern beaches backstreet already smashed by traffic gridlock.
Residents living in and around Tristram Rd, Beacon Hill, swamped Northern Beaches Council with close to 140 submissions opposed to the development application for the $4.4m, 3-storey facility.
They complained that traffic around the centre, which is close to Beacon Hill Public School and an existing long daycare provider, would become a traffic nightmare at drop-off and pick-up times.
If it got the go-ahead, the centre, which would relace a 4-bedroom house on the site, would also create unwelcome noise as well as look out of character on the traditionally residential street, locals said.
The independent Northern Beaches Local Planing Panel rejected the DA this week after it was referred to it as a “contentious development” due to the huge number of public submissions received by the council.
In its assessment report to the panel, council officials recommended it be rejected due to it being an “overdevelopment of the site” and because “traffic generated by the development would adversely impact upon the performance of the surrounding road network”.
“(It) would create an undesirable precedent that would be contrary to the expectations of the community,” the report stated.
“In summary, the proposed development is excessive in height, length, and bulk, and renders it incompatible with existing detached dwelling house development in Tristram Rd.”
Documents lodged with the DA revealed that it would operate from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, employ 16 staff and provide 10 parking spots for visitors and 13 for employees.
There is an existing long daycare centre on Tristram Rd, about 200m east of the site, as well as a nearby community kindy and a family daycare business.
The Makin’ A Difference Early Learning Centre is advertising that it has current vacancies for children.
In her submission, local Faye Randell wrote that “there are already days where we cannot get
out of our driveway due to pick up and drop-offs for the school”.
“I fear for the safety of the schoolchildren that are around and crossing the street with so
much traffic pulling in and pulling out in such a hurry,” she wrote.
“The addition of a 92-place childcare centre will make this even more dangerous.”
Neighbour William Simonsen submitted that motorists committed “illegal and dangerous driving manoeuvres … in order to ever get out of this traffic nightmare”.
Belinda Russell commented that as a mother she recognised the need for adequate early
childhood care, but “this location is nonsensical given the traffic congestion along Tristram Rd”.
“It is already at capacity and another 90-100 cars per day will create gridlock and
mayhem,” she said.
Carolyn Leis said the centre would cause a “huge disruption to the amenity of the local
area, with massively increased traffic, air pollution and noise pollution”.
“A childcare centre is not a quiet place,” she said.
“Children make a lot of noise, laughing, shouting and crying.”
The Manly Daily has attempted to contact the developer.
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