Bengaluru: Opposing the opening of a homestay-cum- café near their homes, residents of HRBR Layout’s 5th A Main Road hit the streets with banners and slogans.Around 30 residents, young and old, who gathered raised several concerns regarding Blossomly House, a proposed commercial homestay cum cafeteria. They argued that such facilities should not be opened inside what they call a peaceful residential layout.They also alleged that a rajakaluve beside the property has also been encroached upon by the owner and the installation of a commercial exhaust system is feared to generate considerable noise, smoke, odour and air pollution for surrounding residents.“If 20–30 or more people gather and smoke at the premises, it could create significant health and nuisance concerns for neighbouring residents. Along with that, with a large number of customers entering and leaving, talking, gathering and moving around, there is a possibility of increased noise disturbance in what is otherwise a residential area,” stated KR Prabhakar, a resident.For the elder residents living near the place, potential chaos also seems to be a worry. With neighbouring roads already experiencing commercial activity and parking pressure, they point out that a commercial establishment inside the residential area may take away parking spaces used by the locals.Gomathy Venkatesan, an elder, alleged that the cafe’s management did not take her objection into consideration when it was initially raised. “I have been staying here for 35 years, but when we told the owner our disagreements, he asked us to bear all the issues and stay or vacate, adding that the road will soon become a commercial hub,” she told TOI.The former leader of opposition of the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) who joined the protest expressed that the area is purely residential and no commercial development will be allowed under any circumstances.The residents believe that such establishments in residential areas are illegal and have already written to Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) to verify all required permissions, including zoning, land-use compliance and rajakaluve clearance.Sachin Jain, who owns the upcoming property, claimed that the cafe aimed to ‘give back something to the society’. Adding that the project is not “very commercial” as claimed, he clarified that the aim wasn’t to cause inconvenience to residents.“I wanted to do this for the Gen-Z; this is nothing like a traditional cafe and this place will strictly be a no-smoking zone. I am also planning to incorporate a library within the place along with a homestay so that youngsters can read and take in the ambience,” Sachin said.
