Heights should have been an issue

Former Councillor Debra Wales accuses me of distorting the truth in the pursuit of a "good story" (Peninsula News, October 4).

Mrs Wales is right that the heights of buildings were not much mentioned during the public consultation process for the Urban Design Framework.

Most residents at the time were more concerned about the creeping of multi-lot redevelopments and their accumulated impacts on both the character and the ambience of the Peninsula.

However the topic of heights of buildings were of concern to most residents when they read the consultants recommending "penthouses" in the town centres.

If Mrs Wales is correct and "heights were never discussed at any of those meetings", the residents have a right to be alarmed at the introduction of tall buildings with penthouses into the process with no discussion.

Mrs Wales then boldly states that "height was never an issue in the submissions returned to council".

The fact is that the report of March 26, 2002, clearly lists such comments on page SF 109: "Concern that the use of the term low-rise townhouses and villas....", "Felt that the character statements referred to three-storey development which would be out of character with the area" and on page SF 110 "Feels that the Umina Town Centre Character statements are abandoning height restrictions and will result in a continuous wall of buildings."

Bryan Ellis, Umina