Residents of May Road, Dee Why, are voicing their concerns over the ‘rubbish’ state of their street, with resurfacing further delayed by a large incoming boarding house development.
Jane, who has lived on the street for four years, says the neglect is becoming too dangerous to live on.
“It’s [May Rd] full of gravel and potholes. The lines are unmarked, not making anything really clear. We’ve had a few major accidents; we and the neighbours are very concerned about getting in and out of our own driveways and accessing the road,” Jane told Manly Observer while standing outside her property on May Rd.
The narrow road is lined with gravel, presumably from filled-in patch jobs ripped out by heavy traffic
“Other cars down on this side, they slip on the gravel as they’re reversing out or driving out or trying to get into their driveways. We make submissions to say that things need to be fixed, but it’s just potholes being patched up, and nothing’s really being sorted long term.”
The road’s popularity is augmented during peak hours as commuters attempt to avoid the congestion on the nearby Pittwater and Warringah roads.
This can become problematic for locals accessing and leaving their homes as the residential street is often lined with parked cars making the area particularly narrow.
The situation looks to soon be further compounded with confirmed plans for a 86 room boarding house to be built behind homes and townhouses on the street. The property will be larger than its surrounding buildings, with five separate unit blocks of two and four storeys.
Residents are concerned the construction will invite more chaos on their street as construction teams transport supplies on the already damaged road, which normally restricts vehicles over three tonnes.
Access points to the construction are only located at the top of May Road and on a slip street down the bottom of the road which restricts parking – meaning an overflow of parked cars could be likely.
What’s Council doing about it?
Requests to repair the road have been submitted and geotechnical investigations to determine the most suitable treatment for the road resurface are said to be underway, according to a Council representative.
However, it was stated temporary maintenance and patch jobs can only be delivered until the boarding developments are completed, as construction traffic and utility installations are expected to impact the road’s surface.
Until then, residents and everyday users must traverse the street’s sketchy terrain as best they can.
“There’s no markings on the speed hump to tell cars to slow down. I did submit that probably two weeks ago, outlining that was a problem,” Jane said.
“You can hear cars from about four o’clock in the morning, when they start driving down the road. They don’t realise there’s a speed hump there. You can hear brakes slam on – It’s normally utes or trucks or trailers – some mornings, I wake up thinking, oh my God, there must be some mess out there from a major accident.”
What’s The Deal With The New Boarding House?
When it was originally proposed the $11.5m multi-dwelling the boarding house development was much larger, accommodating 122 rooms. Numerous residents objected to the plans citing issues with increased traffic and parking conditions, noise pollution and privacy breaches as the units tower over surrounding residential areas.
Northern Beaches Council also opposed the DA, echoing residents’ concerns taking aim at the structures inadequate bulk and scale which was incompatible with the area’s streetscape character.
Despite concerns, the site’s developer, Supertramp, appealed to the NSW Land and Environment Court which ruled in favour of the complex’s construction after modifications to the DA were made in 2020.
Single and double rooms were reduced to 80 with a subsequent modification later approved to build levels on two of the five buildings in order to add six extra rooms.
The space will have capacity for around 170 people including accommodation for five live-in managers for each building.
Since the decision, many residents have voiced their opposition.
One local, Clare, submitted issues of privacy and obstruction of lifestyle as the building will overlook her residence and block out sunlight.
“The proposed new height will mean I also have no privacy in my bedroom… There will be a huge reduction of natural light into the townhouses and no winter sunlight, from the modelling, breaking the three hours minimum sunlight planning rule. The lack of natural light and sun will also kill off plants in my garden,” she wrote.
Emma was one of a dozen neighbouring residents sharing her concerns towards the high probability of not finding a parking space on the street following the boarding house’s completion.
“The current parking situation on May Rd and the surrounding streets is already insufficient, with cars parking illegally due to lack of available parking. This is a serious issue that cannot be ignored,” she lodged in a statement.
The building will have 39 parking spaces.
The site of the boarding house has been demolished, it is not yet known when construction will officially begin.
“If we’re waiting for the construction to be done [for the road to be resurfaced], it’s not going to be good enough,” said Jane. “We haven’t been given any indication, and it’s probably going to take well over a year, two years, for it to be completed.”
“I think the road needs to be resurfaced. We need to have somebody come out and do a survey on the traffic that is coming in and out of this road and come up with a better solution.”
