Residents’ backlash at Mona Vale shop-top development
Residents are fighting a shop-top housing development in Mona Vale which breaches local height limits. Prospective neighbours have expressed concerns over how it could make their homes ‘dungeons’ and potentially impact property values.
Manly
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Residents are objecting to a $14 million 36-room shop-top housing development as they claim it will block their natural light and knock 10 per cent of the price of their homes.
Mona Vale Developments has submitted plans to Northern Beaches Council for the block on Bungan St, Mona Vale.
The plans are to bulldoze the existing building, known as Pittwater Plaza, and construct a shop-top development in its place.
There would be two levels of basement parking with space for 112 cars, two motorcycles and 16 bicycles.
On the ground floor there would be nine retail units with a total of 930 sqm. Over the three storeys above will be 36 units made up of one, two and three-bed properties.
The proposal breaches a number of local building guidelines, not least in the area’s height limit.
The proposed building reaches 15.87m but the limit for the area is 13m.
Locals are strongly objecting to the plans, including those in the neighbouring block at 24 Waratah St.
Alan Wood, the block’s body corporate secretary, said residents had numerous concerns.
“Every centimetre the development is permitted to exceed the prescribed 13m height
restriction will rob residents at 24 Waratah Street of sunlight in their living rooms,” he said in his submission to council.
“It will greatly affect privacy, with residents in the proposed development able to look
right into our homes.”
He also said some neighbours would no longer be able to watch the sunrise and said the value of their homes would be cut by “at least 10 per cent”.
Sharene Tailford, who lives nearby, said the development could have a number of impacts on her property, including a loss of natural light which she claims will make her home feel like a “dungeon”.
BBF Town Planners, on behalf of Mona Vale Developments, said in its submission to council that the development is in the public interest.
The submission described it as a “highly articulated, modulated and visually stimulating building” which will “provide diversity in housing choice whilst ensuring that the site continues to be employment generating and contribute to the economic viability of the town centre”.
The application will be considered in the coming weeks.
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