DESPITE an impassioned plea by Pearl Court resident Brendan White at this week’s Orange City Council meeting, council has given the go-ahead for a 24-lot subdivision in North Orange.
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Mr White used a tape measure to demonstrate the impact the development would have on him and his family, whose bedrooms will soon sit only metres away from the new roadway linking Emerald Street to Pearl Court.
Mr White said he wondered how a development that’s so detrimental to current residents in the area could be approved.
Of course Mr White wasn’t the only objector.
Councillor Neil Jones raised concerns about the development prior to the meeting.
He said he was worried residents in the subdivision would have inadequate sunlight and was concerned about the frontages of some of the houses, which will be as narrow as 10.4 metres in some cases.
The fact that the $7.9 million development didn’t breach planning laws, and had already been modified, was enough for the majority of councillors to approve it.
However, as councillor Ron Gander said, despite the development ticking all the boxes, there was still room for councillors to use their own experience, judgment and taste to turn a development down or ask for modifications.
There should always be room for discussions on the impact a development will have on streetscapes, existing green space and the quality of life of the people who live in the area already, as well as new residents.
People live in Orange because they crave a rural lifestyle and all the benefits it has to offer, and it’s important we preserve that.
Healthy discussions between councillors and residents help keep these important issues of overcrowding and sustainable development on all of our agendas, and that’s vital if we’re to protect the lifestyle we all enjoy.
