Reserve is oasis in rotting neighbourhood
The neighbourhood surrounding the reserve in Memorial Ave, proposed for sale by Central Coast Council, has been left to rot by successive Council administrations.
Zoned "high density", it faces a laneway with no footpaths or kerbs or gutters or street lighting.
The surrounding streets also lack the basics.
In Warwick Street the street numbering is woefully weird.
I live in 1 Warwick St, but further up the road there are three houses which also claim to be 1 Warwick St.
Misdirected pizzas are one thing, but lost emergency ambulances are more serious.
The land bounded by Wallaby St, Memorial Av, Warwick St and the laneway all belonged to a local developer.
He sold lots 23 and 23A to the Council for widening of Memorial Ave 60 years ago.
The road has just been widened recently.
He sold lot 27 for innocuous villa development, then lot 25 to a builder who created the most dysfunctional housing on the Central Coast.
If you don't believe me come and see for yourself.
The defect which affects the rest of the community the most is the lack of parking.
The garages are too small for a normal car resulting in residents parking boats and cars in neighbouring streets, on the reserve and blocking the laneway.
Does Council not have responsibility for ensuring that multiple housing development is at least functional?
Was any inspection carried out during the building of the four dwellings on lot 25?
The same developer has disposed of the three lots between our reserve and Wallaby St, which were recently clear felled.
One swamp mahogany was so massive it was estimated to have been 150 years old.
That land will soon be covered by 12 dwellings.
Let us hope that the builder allows for enough parking to avoid utter chaos in the unnamed, unlit and extremely narrow laneway.
Since the announcement of the planned sell-off of our reserve, many people have visited and understood the importance of these beautiful trees.
It is important not just for the wildlife or as a jigsaw piece in the fight against global heating, but as a breathing space for us.
It is an oasis in a badly-designed, malfunctioning desert of concrete.
SOURCE:
Email, 28 May 2021
Jane Hendy, Blackwall