Belrose, Wyatt Ave: Developer defends 62-room boarding house plan
Locals say a plan for a 62-room boarding house will ruin the neighbourhood, but the developer says it will give essential workers much needed homes.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A plan for a 62-room boarding house that can accommodate up to 122 “lodgers” has sparked concerns among neighbours about the size of the development and the people who will rent there.
But the developer said the proposed $7.7 million three-storey facility at Belrose is permissible and aimed at providing affordable housing for essential workers such as nurses and aged care employees.
A development application has been lodged with Northern Beaches Council for the boarding house, made up of two separate buildings, on a 1.2 hectare block in Wyatt Ave.
An anonymous notice has been circulating, calling on residents to oppose the DA and to make negative submissions to the council.
Close to 30 submissions against the facility have already been lodged.
The developer, Northern Beaches Essential Services Accommodation Pty Ltd, told The Manly Daily on Tuesday that boarding houses and seniors living were permitted uses under the local land zoning, but believes the council may act to change the zoning in the future.
A spokesman for the developer said the Land and Environment Court had already approved a previous DA for a 27-room boarding house on a neighbouring block.
“I’m getting this done so I can work out which way to jump. It’s all in flux at the moment as to what the zoning of the area will be.
“So whether I go ahead and build a boarding house or do something else, I’m just not quite sure yet.”
In public submissions to the council a resident wrote that the facility being close to the John Colet School in Wyatt Ave was a “a huge factor”.
“What sort of people are expected to live in these boarding houses?
“We like the community the way it is. We don’t want it getting bigger, we want it to
remain small and safe for our children and stay a small tight knit community.”
Another local asked: “There are so many young families and children in this area, what type of people are moving in?
A neighbour submitted that the development was out of character for the “quiet low-density” area.
Others submitted that the proposed Frenchs Forest Town Centre redevelopment was an appropriate place for the boarding house; that traffic congestion would massively increase and: “there is exactly zero community benefit to be gained”.
In a proposed Plan of Management lodged with the DA, the developer stated that it wanted to minimise the potential impact on the “surrounding residential environment” by having an on-site manager 24 hours a day.
“The minimum length of stay for any lodger is to be three months,” the plan stated. “Lodgers will be encouraged to reserve a room prior to arriving at the boarding house.
“All boarding house lodgers should be aware of their own behaviour and how it impacts on the other lodgers and neighbours.
“No drug use is permitted and no excessive alcohol usage will be tolerated” and “the outdoor and communal open space should not be used after 10pm on any day.”
The developer’s spokesman said he was mindful that there was a huge need for affordable accommodation for essential workers such as nurses and people employed in local aged care facilities.
“Those people who are putting in submissions are just not well informed.
“People should be asking why is there a need for (the boarding house) and do we want to have staff looking after us when we moved into aged care?
“Those staff need accommodation somewhere.”
Submissions open again on Wednesday for another two weeks.
Winds of change! Aussie sailor blazing new trail in America’s Cup waters
Growing up Annie Wilmot was surrounded by America’s Cup sailors and one very famous history-making uncle. Now she’s a Cup trailblazer herself.
Aussie quartet make sailing history with win in women’s America’s Cup
For the first time in 174 years Australian women have set sail in an America’s Cup. How the quartet on Andoo Australia are faring as the Pool B Racing begins.