Phone 4342 5333         Email us.

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Issue 464 - 25 Feb 2019Issue 464 - 25 Feb 2019
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Five storey development approved for Morris St corner
Labor pledges funding for palliative care centre
Another five-storey development submitted
Two shops heritage-nominated on development site
Community workshop on climate change
Draft plan may be re-released with maps
Ombudsman present to explain bills
CWA branch supports appeal for siblings group
Cakes and biscuits wanted for Bays Fair
Ettalong is entered in Tidy Towns competition
Different responses to Morris St development decision
Council considers urban tree strategy
Is this familiar?
Committee challenges candidates on dredging policy
Labor promise wouldn't build half a carpark, says Wicks
Grants to lifesaving club
PCYC receives $2000 for equipment
Funding for Pearl Beach lagoon
Lifeline shop gets a revamp
Brigade holds recruitment evening
Meals on Wheels holds open day
Rotarian enjoys first day back at school
Former church volunteer charged with sexual assault
Annual meeting
Sausages at community day
Council changes water restriction trigger point
Skate competition at Umina
Valentine's event at club
Children visit retirement village for Valentine's Day
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Developers should not be able to change regulations
Bus service needed for children and shoppers
Congratulations on good eyesight
Privacy breach with garbage service
How long do we have to wait?
Restore title of Venice of Australia
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Tears fall with palliative care centre announcement
Long-serving staff recognised
Hospital staff donate money to Townsville colleagues
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Pearl Beach resident wins short film competition
History group to release book
Author writes about work-life balance
Early childhood music program launched in Woy Woy
Keneallys to talk about Monserrat series
New arts and crafts market
Risque cabaret for Festival of Women
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
College principal signals shift to individual teaching
Students start Grease rehearsals
Recognition for HSIE students
Parent-teacher interviews at Umina
Tennis player takes out championship
Grant for outdoor musical equipment
College establishes one-stop Student Services
SRC members to help in canteen
Swimming carnival held
Parents group prepares for election day
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Umina surf club dominates branch championships
Mixed results for Ettalong Eagles
Lions to hold annual luncheon
Ettalong bowler wins pairs championship
Disability bowler of the year
Lifesaving clubs receive $280,000 in funding
Volunteers wanted for Smiles on Dials
Wolves season had just one loss
Zenden named in Australian Joeys squad

Five storey development approved for Morris St corner

A five-storey $7.6 million development for the corner of West and Morris Sts, Umina, was approved by Central Coast Council on February 11.

The proposed development is one storey above the four-storey height allowed in the Gosford Local Environment Plan and also greater than the maximum floor space ratio by 10 per cent.

An existing two-storey commercial building at 211 and 213 West St will be demolished for the development.

Mayor Cr Jane Smith said it had 20 non-complying points and she foreshadowed an amendment to the recommendation. But her amendment never saw the light of day.

Only three councillors voted against the proposal.

They were Cr Kyle MacGregor, Cr Louise Greenaway and Cr Smith.

Two people spoke at the Residents' Forum before the meeting.

Planning consultant Mr Matthew Wales spoke on behalf of the owner Sans Filter Pty Ltd in favour the proposal and local resident Mr Bruce Illfield spoke against it.

Cr Richard Mehrtens opened debate, saying he supported the recommendation because it was in a good area and he would like to see more of this style of development in town centres.

"This sort of development contributes to the streetscape, and will allow new life into the town centre of Umina,'' he said.

Cr Greg Best supported the recommendation, saying "if you applied the strictest rule of the Development Control Plan, you would pass nothing".

Cr Chris Holstein said he was generally supportive of the proposal but the number of variations did draw his concern.

He said he worried about precedence being set, although in this case the outcome was good.

His two main concerns were garbage collection and drainage.

He cited angst and concern for Gosford neighbours when drainage meant ongoing pumping of water onto the roads.

Cr Chris Burke supported the recommendation, saying Umina was the "forgotten south", which they had had to fight hard for Bunnings and McDonalds and he was supportive of this development too.

Cr Greenaway said residents needed a sense of certainty when they heard variations to the planning provisions.

The Council director responsible for planning, Mr Scott Cox, said he agreed but said not every site was perfect and so not every objective of the provisions could be met.

Cr Greenaway asked why this flat block of land was allowed to have so many variations.

Mr Cox said a lot of the reasons were in the report. He explained the planning provisions allowed for variations.

He said it was a corner block, in a transition zone and staff thought it was a good design.

The report noted the development was one storey or 25 per cent above the guidelines.

It was above the floor space ratio by 10 per cent.

The site falls 9.34 per cent short of the required 1000 square metres for such a development.

The height of the facade to Morris St was 50 per cent above Gosford Development Control Plan 2013 guidelines and an external wall height would be 19 per cent above.





Skip Navigation Links.

Skip Navigation Links.
  Copyright © 2019 Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc