Residents living near a busy intersection at Orana Road at Ocean Shores are up in arms over a plan to increase density around them and build a new access road which they say would be dangerous.
The proposal to subdivide two house blocks (at 91 Orana Road and 5 Bulgoon Crescent) into five lots, with a new road cutting between the two streets, has riled locals opposed to the plan, which has just come off exhibition.
Residents say they were surprised to learn of the plan when it was lodged with Byron Shire Council by Joe Davidson Town Planners recently.
Antonia Canosa, who lives with her young family at No. 93 Orana Road, said it would be ‘very dangerous to have an access road servicing five houses so close to the roundabout and on a hill’.
‘We don’t even have a footpath so I’m really concerned about the kids walking to the bus stop,’ Mrs Canosa said in her submission to council.
‘We bought and have lived in this home for seven years with our young children.
‘We decided to buy this block specifically because it was on a corner and it is sloping land,’ she said.
‘We were under the impression that because of storm water problems there would be no dual occupancy developments on the lots adjacent to us. We wanted to provide our children with plenty of space and nature to play.’
The local mum said the new access road through 91 Orana Road and connected to 5 Bulgoon Crescent and three of the lots would be visible from her home and that ‘we would have not bought this land had we known this was possible’.
‘We were told back in 2009 by council staff that this was not possible and it would not happen.
‘We don’t believe this new development was made ‘to meet the housing needs of the community, but to capitalise on the growing tourism and festival market,’ Mrs Canosa said.
She said the new access would create ‘hazardous situations’ on an already very busy Orana Road.
‘We were discouraged by council to seek a DA to build a granny flat in our garden because they argued having too many driveways in close proximity to a roundabout was dangerous,’ Mrs Canosa said.
‘We would also like to point out that the traffic safety assessment needs to consider that at busy times such as Splendour, Falls Festival, Christmas, Easter etc. the movement of vehicles on Orana Road is surely more than 3,000 vehicles per day.
‘Our children (as do other children) walk past the 91 Orana Road driveway every morning to catch the local school bus and we feel having a driveway that services five houses would create more dangers for our children and other pedestrians.’
The locals took their complaint to mayor Simon Richardson, and it’s believed the plan will be called up by councillors. Cr Richardson is yet to respond to Echonetdaily.
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