Not one vacant parking spot in South St in the rain
Once again, I'm sitting at my window in South St, Umina, watching relentless rain, which I believe will become a regular feature due to climate change.
For the first time in over 15 years in this street, the ground has become so saturated that it no longer absorbs and drains water.
Instead, it is sitting in ever growing puddles in my garden and lawn.
The storm water drains in the street and lane at the rear cannot cope and I cannot imagine how the council could still be considering allowing underground parking on residential block within the street or anywhere in residential areas.
Commercial sites may cope with the cost of constant water pumping, if the drains could cope, but households are struggling to make ends meet without that added burden.
Council is still considering such an insane development application at number 42 South St.
Not just underground parking, but along with several exceptions to set backs, overshadowing and other guides, in place to ensure quality of life for existing residents and environmental impacts which must be prime considerations.
All these "exceptions", of which there are many in the one application, are outside current guidelines.
If they are approved, they will be the springboard for more and more exceptions till the entire Woy Woy Peninsula becomes uninhabitable.
You need to ask yourself why?
Why would council consider pushing more and more into less and less when the stress at peak times is already painfully evident.
There is not one vacant parking spot in South St and though I'm not going out in this torrent to check, I'd say the entire neighbourhood is the same.
Imagine if every residential block had approval for 10 underground car spaces and each of those 10 cars needed to move from flooding basements.
Utter chaos would result.
Even today in South St, or around Umina commercial centre, none can be found.
Now is the time to make council listen to the residents for a change and not the developers or already successful businesses, which see the object of life as money and growing profits.
The real and tangible profits in life are not derived from money, but having a small space to call your own, other larger areas to share, air to breath and elbow room.
SOURCE:
Email, 7 Apr 2022
Michael Emmett, Umina Beach