Inappropriate developments will destroy local ambience

There is currently a renewed development application for an 11 unit-room boarding house plus managers residence at 454 Ocean Beach Rd, Umina Beach.

The application was first made in May.

Proposed hours of operation for the boarding house are stipulated as seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Similar development applications are becoming more common and an application has been lodged for eight micro-units at 433 Ocean Beach Rd.

It would appear developers understandably are endeavouring to maximize profits, but sadly such developments contribute to residential overcrowding and deteriorating community standards.

Umina Beach Residents I have spoken to are vehemently opposed to this boarding house application.

Criminals upon release from prison if they have nowhere to go they often are relocated to boarding houses because of the cheap accommodation.

Developers tried to build a similar boarding house at Ettalong where residents strenuously objected and successfully prevented it being built.

The homeless people gathering at Woy Woy are a sad blight on the area with drunkenness, fighting and foul language common.

The people of Umina Beach don't want to see this beautiful beachside suburb turned into a slum area of the future.

The development application at 454 Ocean Beach Road is opposite the CWA hall where senior citizens regularly congregate.

It is near the Umina Beach Public School and numerous children walk to school and the Umina Beach surf Club, sometimes unsupervised.

It is a long way from Woy Woy Railway Station and is nowhere near a ready employment hub.

There is enough pressure on public transport now without adding an unknown, unstipulated number of residents from this site.

Under the terms and conditions of the May proposal, the number of guests occupying a room must not exceed the number stated on the reservation document.

How many are allowed to be stated on the document and live in each room?

There are 11 units, self-contained with no apparent stipulation of the numbers of people allowed in each unit, as well as a minimum of one manager on duty at all times.

Just how many people will be living on one block of land?

This overcrowding is outrageous in a residential suburb.

In the May development application, smoking was to be strictly prohibited within the internal parts of the premises, including all rooms, bathrooms and common areas.

This would mean, of course, that nicotine-addicted residents of the boarding house would gather outside on Ocean Beach Rd smoking, which would be a form of intimidation of the senior residents attending the CWA Hall opposite, nearby residents and children going to and from school.

The current application does not mention smoking restrictions, despite duty of care considerations.

However, the hourly restrictions to common areas must mean the boarding house residents will gather on the street after hours.

There is a total of 12 residences in this application, on one normal sized block of residential land.

There are only six parking spaces and this will cause yet further parking and traffic congestion to Ocean Beach Rd.

In light of the sheer weight of numbers of Umina Beach residents opposing this development, I look to our Council officers and our elected Council representatives to act responsibly and stop this outrageous development in a residential area.

Please do not destroy the natural ambience of Umina Beach with inappropriate developments like this.

If this development is allowed, other similar applications will follow.

Email, 8 Oct 2019

Kevin Woods, Umina Beach