Meriton Lighthouse, Dee Why: Residents fight car wash plan
A bid to build a car wash at a posh Meriton apartment complex on the northern beaches has thrown residents into a spin.
Manly
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Residents are in a lather over of a car washing station planned for one of the ritziest residential and commercial developments on the northern beaches.
Developer Meriton wants to build the hand wash and detailing bays in the basement car park of its $130 million up-market Lighthouse complex in the heart of Dee Why.
But close to 20 residents have told planners they reckon the car wash — to operate seven days a week — will create too much noise, vibration, dampness and odours as well as cause car park traffic snarls.
They also have concerns about the use, storage and disposal of cleaning chemicals.
But Meriton, which has sold apartments in the complex for up to $3 million, said it has taken every precaution to reduce noise and vibration and to properly use, store and get rid of waste cleaning products.
The Lighthouse development, opened by billionaire Meriton boss Harry Triguboff in 2019, has 351 apartments — in two 17-storey towers — as well as retail and commercial space and parking for more than 700 cars in the heart of Dee Why.
Its retail precinct includes a Woolworths supermarket as well as a number of cafes and restaurants, a gym, commercial office space and a childcare centre.
The development application (DA) for the $80,000 car wash, which includes two self-contained wash bays — with high-pressure hoses — two spots for vacuuming and detailing vehicles, as well as a small office, goes before the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel on Wednesday. It would take over a total of 10 existing car spaces.
Any DA lodged with Northern beaches Council that attracts 10 or more public submission, has to be adjudicated by the independent panel.
But the council’s Development Assessment Report to the panel recommended the DA be rejected.
Resident Slava Gorbunov told the council that constant water flows would cause dampness and potential structural and health issues.
“Use of chemicals in the underground car park, with limited ventilation, may cause health and safety risks and potential fire hazard for the multi-level building,” Mr Gorbunov wrote.
Karen Lane was concerned that vibration in the building would impact residents, including small children.
“(There is) a real risk of mould given there is no fresh air going into the car park,” Ms Lane told the council.
Iain Ayres was worried there was potential for a large increase in traffic into the building to use the car wash “which will impact residents’ traffic”.
Guner Orucu said building security would became an issues with “too many people” entering the car park.
Colleen Parrett wrote that it was “unfair” to provide space for a car wash in an areas set aside for parking.
“This was not the deal on purchase of my property.”
The council’s assessment report said the car wash was “likely to result in significant traffic congestion and pedestrian safety issues”.
“It is recommended for refusal primarily for this reason, ”the report found.
A Meriton spokesman told the Manly Daily on Tuesday that it supported the car wash DA.
“We do not consider that this will have any significant impacts upon the amenity of building residents or visitors but rather, provide a useful additional service, for which there is a demand in the locality,” the spokesman said.
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