Council allows waterfront house

Gosford Council has allowed the demolition of an existing house and the construction of a controversial two-storey waterfront property in its place in Burge Rd, Woy Woy.

Neighbour and objector Ms Karin Solondz spoke against the development at council's meeting of February 8, requesting council to reject the development application for the land.

Ms Solondz cited several problems in relation to the application including an incorrect floor space ratio, incorrect open space area, incorrect site analysis figures, non-conforming floor height, lack of overshadowing diagrams for the amended proposal and foreshore building setback inconsistencies.

"The development overshadows and reduces views for neighbouring single-storey properties," Ms Solondz said.

"The building causes unnecessary overshadowing of our living room and northern balcony.

"It diminishes all the ecological principles which we carefully integrated into our house."

Other Burge Rd residents have complained that council staff have bent the rules to allow building closer to the waterfront for this development.

A staff report to the council stated that "the proposal generally satisfies the foreshore building line as outlined in DCP155, with the single storey portion set behind the nominal six metre line and the eastern external wall of the first floor portion setback 10 metres".

Council staff have reported that the deck is not in strict compliance with the requirements of the DCP as its front edge is set back 8.5m.

The report stated, however, that "it is common practice that waterfront developments provide an unroofed deck or patio at top floor level over the lower level roof".

Cr Terri Latella said she would prefer to vote on the Burge Rd development after a public exhibition of the recently amended DCP155 had been brought back to council, but stated she supported the council officers' views.

Six public submissions were received in relation to the application.

Council agenda DH.16, February 8