Comments made here were sent to Blue Mountains City Council. Add your own comment.
Far more elaboration is needed on this eleven million dollar project, there is not enough information provided here. I have serious concerns as to how this eleven million dollar project will impact our narrow roads, cause congestion on our very small streets and other impacts. I say no, or at the very least, far more elaboration is needed.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the upper mountains community. Finally someone is investing big money in our community. The 34 commercial/light-industrial units will generate a lot of local employment through businesses moving into them - which has a benefit of local property prices in North Katoomba going up as people will want to live close to work - and these workers will spend money in Katoomba, which helps our other local businesses too. Plus the two Storage King facilities in the development are much needed too, as all the current self-storage facilities in the upper mountains are full - and have been for years. I'm hoping this development will have a flow-on affect with other land owners in North Katoomba as the area is seriously under-developed and has been for decades. So many empty cleared land parcels everywhere sitting vacant and unused. So a development like this is really needed as a first stepping stone. This development will push council to finally improve our area by fixing roads and services to the new development - which means we as local residents benefit from this too. Therefore I fully support this development and want it to go-ahead ASAP.
James Robinson you've made it clear you are pro development, which is your right, yet the impacts on the community still need to be thoroughly considered. Something of this scale, of this magnitude, should be at least demonstrating it's use of sustainable energy, solar power and some demonstration of cutting edge sustainability efforts, as North Katoomba is a community focussed on sustainability, family homes and community gardening. You mention "clearings" that "need developing". Many of these "clearings" are green belts that help wildlife move about our community. Yet let's stick to the development proposal at hand, not unrelated developments. As someone who has lived in the blue mountains for 58 years, I for one, do not want this to go ahead, and hope for far more consideration as to environmental impacts or at the very least, cutting edge sustainable design. Take care.
I second Trish Green's comments - and oppose this proposal.
Why exactly should North Katoomba be developed into a semi-industrial area?
* Such development would just further erode the character of the Blue Mountains LGA and Katoomba in particular; people want to live here because of what this area *is* now, not because it could be made into a crowded concrete block.
* Local infrastructure of the LGA are already under stress without increasing the load on them; Council needs to improve maintenance on *existing* assests first.
* Workers are more likely to commute (drive) to work than reside nearby; increasing traffic, pollution, need for road maintenance, etc.
"Someone" is investing big money - you, James Robinson?
Your statements ("seriously under-developed") are those of someone who makes clear they have a vested interest in this proposal and development generally (see also 2 Edwin Lane, Katoobma proposed development)...
Hardly the case of a local resident making a balanced view input to this proposal, is it?
I am a local resident, of many decades, and live close to both this and the Edwin Lane proposals.
Pockets of North Katoomba are already industrial/light industrial/commercial - of which this block already is, and has been for decades. So no change.
I do not have a vested interest in either proposal - how ridiculous to infer such without evidence. And how rude of both of you to impugn my views, opinions, and intelligence - I didn't do that to either of you Mr Sim or Ms Green. I stated my views and opinions without reference to you both, and you slam me publicly and make accusations of my character. Shame on you. I thought we could have open and fair discourse in our society - clearly not.
