Plans to build an "enormous child care centre" in an already overused Woonona carpark have angered residents and nearby business owners.
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They are so upset that more than 50 residents met at the Hopetoun Street carpark on Easter Friday to work out a way to stop the development going ahead.
They argued the Sydney developer's proposal to build a three-storey child care centre for 117 children posed safety, parking and traffic congestion issues.
Even plans to create 82 car spots didn't soften the stance of the "horrified" residents, who said the proposed 12-metre-high building would loom over the houses and dramatically worsen the already difficult parking situation.
The building is home to an 11-doctor medical practice as well as radiology, pathology, physiotherapy, a chiropractor, and a skin clinic.
Woonona Medical Practice doctor Ella Cameron said everyone was already struggling to find parking spots, adding local residents had real concerns about all the parking on the street due to people attending for medical appointments as well as the users of the local [Fernwood Woonona] gym.
"Woonona Medical Practice has been serving the local community for over 40 years.
"We are so worried about the impact on our patients. Elderly people, people with disabilities and young families will all be affected by this and find it harder to access medical care if this is approved," Dr Cameron said
Woonona Medical Practice manager Lee Sanchez said the carpark was going to be full if the development proceeded.
"Patients are complaining daily about not being able to get a car spot. The neighbours come and complain to me almost weekly, they are unable to get out of their driveways," Mrs Sanchez said.
"The gym patrons also park in this carpark because there is no on-street parking.
"Elderly patients are having to walk down the street, unable to get access to the service, ambulance has trouble parking at the front when there is an emergency.
"There are numerous issues, let alone the safety of the children that are supposed to be coming to the property."
Amy Young, whose property borders the medical centre and the carpark, feared for her children's safety should the proposal proceed.
"We've already had fences been knocked down by cars, we've already had near accidents near the end of the driveway," she said.
"The issue of this carpark is that the driveway can only fit one car in and one car out at a time.
"There is already congestion for the medical centre and Fernwood people using the car spots, add another 100 cars morning and night, it's a disaster waiting to happen."
Her neighbour Amanda Mott agreed.
"I've been involved in child care centres for 27 years, including 13 years running a family day care centre from my Woonona home," Ms Mott said.
"The developers are trying to say that it will be staggered but it doesn't work that way. If you offer those hours, over 80 per cent will use the hours.
"That means that you will have another 100 plus people coming to pick up their children between 5.30 and 6pm every afternoon as well as people finishing from the doctors, as well as the gym, it is way too much, we can't sustain that much traffic in this street.
"The area for pedestrians is also way too narrow, which increases the risk of children being hit by a car."
Fellow resident Dayna Fensom worried the contemporary look of the proposed centre would clash with the "historical look of the area".
"I reside in the the former Bulli Court House. It has significant history with the area. It was build in 1884," she said.
"We are concerned about what the impact of a 12-metre-high child care centre will look like from the Princes Highway overlooking the historical buildings at the front.
"It doesn't have any significance to heritage or history of the building and it is actually quite out of place for the area."
People have until April 13 to comment on the proposal via Wollongong City Council's website.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
