Residents for Responsible Ettalong Development (RRED) are urging locals across the Coast to respond to Council’s proposal to increase the foreshore height limit along a section of The Esplanade at Ettalong Beach.
The group says the foreshore is delicate and residents have no appetite for a Wamberal beach type situation where houses have been damaged by coastal erosion.
Council is proposing to increase the building height three storeys to five storeys and increasing the floor space ratio from 1:1 to 1.75:1 on land across the road from the foreshore.
This comes on top of the newly adopted Central Coast Local Environment Plan which Council adopted in August, putting the height limit at 11.5m or three storeys.
The proposal is to increase the limit to 17m to allow a 5 storey building on the consolidated site from beside the Atlantis building along the Esplanade to Picnic Parade.
Council describes the Atlantis building as a recently developed five and seven storey mixed use residential /commercial development.
Adjoining that is the two storey Ettalong Beach Motel which occupies part of the site with the rest of the land vacant.
“With the recent flurry of large DA approvals, Ettalong does not have the infrastructure to cope with the increased demand,” RRED spokesman Peter Gillis said.
“The foreshore is environmentally delicate and constantly eroding very close to this site, and there is no public appetite for council to take on a Wamberal situation, where council becomes liable for approved development requiring foreshore remediation.”
Council says the foreshore opposite the subject site has been stabilised with dune vegetation and that the Biodiversity Conservation Division of the State Dept of Planning and Environment were consulted and made no comments about the planning proposal.
RRED say the proposal is dangerously close (19m) from the delicate and eroding foreshore.
The foreshore area has recently been the subject of media attention after trees began dying, in July, allegedly poisoned.
In September Council said it had completed an investigation into the damaged trees, but had been unable to identify offenders and was “considering its options” in accordance with the Tree and Vegetation Vandalism Management Policy.
Council’s rezoning plan would allow a development five storeys in height involving up to 40 residential units and commercial space of some 480m² gross floor area.
Council says the planning controls in this waterfront location are intended to limit overshadowing of the beach and public open space.
But RRED says the shadow (see the screenshot) that will be cast over the beach will be significant and not in the public interest.
“Already the Atlantis building creates a cold unwelcoming area in winter,” Mr Gillis said.
RRED says the Council is under administration and admits to being understaffed in the planning department.
“This should not be a priority,” he said.
“It has no or limited benefit to the council nor the public and should be dropped immediately.”
And while Council says the proposal relates to an existing development area and does not detract from the cultural landscape, RRED say it will severely detract from the village atmosphere described in the Development Control Plan for the area.
Mr Gillis said a petition of 1,937 signatories opposing the proposal was provided to Adam Crouch MP to hand on to Rob Stokes MP, the minister for planning at the time.
Now, almost a year later the public is having its chance to have a say until Monday, November 21.
“It is disappointing that council are only allowing feedback for 28 days on such a large change to the Ettalong foreshore,” Mr Gillis said.
“Changes of this magnitude should be open for a longer period such as 90 days.”
All information on how to submit your comments and what to include is here: http://bit.do/ettalongbeach Mr Gillis said.
Remember, comments need to be in by close of business, next Monday, November 21.
The Council information is here: https://www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/…/www…/ettalongbeachpp
And a previous story I wrote when this first went on public exhibition is here: it provides further detail. https://www.cccouncilwatch.com.au/ettalong-height…/