Comments made here were sent to Kiama Municipal Council. Add your own comment.
Another slum in sleepy!!! Gerringong.
Can you imagine the traffic,especially when football is on
Another assault on the character of Gerringong, which I fear has been lost to greed and overdevelopment. Oversized houses and apartments destroying any concept of space as renters and lower incomes are forced out in favour of investors and Airbnb.
Andrew Morgan
The area of Blackwood St around this proposed development is already congested in busy periods, school holidays etc, with locals and visitors requiring access and parking for the supermarket and other businesses. There is parking provision in the development but is it easily accessible? It looks to be very tight access, turning space, and small carpark sizes on the drawings. There are examples of parking in other recent developments in Gerringong not being adequately sized resulting in residents using street parking, refer Noble Street.
I couldn’t see consideration of the impact to traffic turning off Fern Street into Blackwood Street, how many additional vehicle movements will the additional residential and commercial units bring? If there’s 109 car parks included in the development that’s potentially bringing significant additional traffic around the roads adjacent. Approaching from the south, turning from Fern Street into Blackwood St is already tight at peak times. A separate turning lane should be considered for safety, with a crossing for pedestrians.
Also the product mix of apartments looks to be targeted to investor owners rather than owner occupiers, this won’t provide a accommodation solution for people with young families which seems to be needed the most in the area.
Dear planning authority, please save this very nicely designed project to become yet another vehicle to fill the pockets of developers and investors. We need real estate that is affordable for families to buy and LIVE PERMANENTLY in (and with "living in" I mean : not living here a week in the Christmas holidays and a week in the Ester holidays and Air bnb it out for the rest of the year, I mean live here 90% of the time and this being the primary residence) and long term rental stock. I am sure this project will be approved anyhow no matter the traffic congestion or parking problems. But dear planning authority please do your community a favour and introduce new zone restrictions for this lot, that all owners must use the property as primary residence or long term rent it out and prohibit short term rental.
Serviced apartments! Yuk, like that’s not going to change the character of the town. I hope this doesn’t get approved. There are better ways to provide more accommodation and retain the very character that attracts people to the area.
I am assuming the serviced apartment idea was to avoid residential complaints from the loading and unloading of IGA deliveries but if you put serviced apartments there I’ll be sure to make sure guests know what’s right next door, I’ll make it my hobby. Do better!
No service appartements ! We need housing for the locals!
If council think this is an appropriate development in a small town like Gerringong they are dillusional. If you want to destroy the unique character of this village then this proposal will do it. It will be an eyesore, bring traffic congestion. Maybe some councillors would like to visit the village on a busy day in particular when the football is on to see what a nightmare this proposal will be. I will be watching ckosely how this is dealt with, with interest!!
Another slum in sleepy!!! Gerringong.
Can you imagine the traffic,especially when football is on
This is a huge proposed development over i2 plots of land 15/17 Blackwood St with possible further development at no19 Blackwood St - there will not be enough parking allocation for units/shops do therefore more congestion on that St and going into Fern St.
Serviced apartments isn’t really residential living, this is more like holiday let’s, affordable housing, townhouses would be more in line with Gerringing, less invasive and lower in height and footprint on the 2 plots and there would be able to accommodate families instead of squeezing 30+ units into this area, 3 stories high
Overdevelopment in these rural areas is spoiling the whole feel of coastal villages/small towns and increased traffic
Ah, wasting your time people- council don't listen!
There is not enough infrastructure to support this. We have only single lanes all through Gerringong and this gets congested enough - especially through the warmer months. I have lived in Gerringong for 25 years and the town has been changed to a tourists town full of Air BNB's which this lot will undoubtedly service more of. There is simply not enough room for it in the centre of town.
This is a huge proposed development over i2 plots of land 15/17 Blackwood St with possible further development at no19 Blackwood St - there will not be enough parking allocation for units/shops do therefore more congestion on that St and going into Fern St.
Serviced apartments isn’t really residential living, this is more like holiday let’s, affordable housing, townhouses would be more in line with Gerringing, less invasive and lower in height and footprint on the 2 plots and there would be able to accommodate families instead of squeezing 30+ units into this area, 3 stories high
Overdevelopment in these rural areas is spoiling the whole feel of coastal villages/small towns and increased traffic
Through traffic is often non existent with semis backing into IGA. Very busy on football and market days and after school is out.
No footpath on either side of the road. Too narrow for parking on both sides of the road - only allows for 1 car to pass.
109 more cars will be chaos.
Not at all in line with the surrounding streets, which are predominately heritage style weatherboard single story homes. Does nothing for housing affordability. Similar mistake projects on Belinda street shade their neighbours’ properties and have vacant tenancies for over 2 years on ground level.
If gerringong had as many lawyers as Berry, you wouldn’t put it here. It is a quaint hilltop village, the heritage museum is literally across the street from this proposed mega apartment building - 20 paces across the street. Treat Gerringong like Berry and don’t approve these eye soar developments that bring nothing, including housing affordability, to the community and are not in line with the character of the town.
I can see no evidence of an area for drying washing. Where will holiday makers dry their wet towels and cossies? Over the balconies?
Bedrooms on the western side which will be subject to the summer heat in the evenings will be very uncomfortable at least until the block on the corner of Greta and Blackwood is developed and another 3 or 4 story rabbit warren is erected.
No consideration has been given to the quality of life of the potential occupants or the existing neighbours who will have to suffer the noise and disruptions of 50 or 60 people coming and going all day and evening.
This project is totally unacceptable given its location and the amount of aircondioners and clothes driers that will be used - both of which are major contributors to global warming.
This project MUST be rejected by council.
We need a footpath!
The beautiful Flame tree on the footpath that has been here longer than all of us has been tagged for removal.
The paper submitted with the DA states it is 25% dead, this is untrue, in fact it is as lush and dense as any flame you will see.
The flame tree is a icon to Gerringong and the Illawarra region, certainly more than a introduced Pine tree.
The trees base is on council footpath land and is not even over the boundary line of the land that is to be developed.
For years the possums and birds have lived and survived off of these trees raising there own young in safety, there has been no report on the impact on native wildlife by this clearing of land.
It’s sad that garbage truck access would get priority over a Tree of such beauty
Save The Tree……
I am concerned that the current infrasture of our village cannot substain a property that is proposed of this size, and in clise promity to the only grocery shop. Parking is partical scarce now, with the introduction of additional retail shops will impact on home owners in several streets. Maybe a consideration of a multi storey carpark should be considered prior to any thought of properties of this size being built.
