Objection to a second push by Maitland City Council to rezone part of a Morpeth street to accommodate seniors housing, has surprised and frustrated developers.
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Councillors voted this week to call for a review by the Joint Regional Planning Panel of a gateway determination for Edward Street, Morpeth.
The decision follows a Department of Planning and Environment decision to refuse an application to allow seniors’ housing as a permitted use in the street, citing inconsistencies with Morpeth’s heritage. The department recommended council review the Morpeth Management Plan.
This week councillors voted seven votes to four favour of a review.
The decision did not augur well with residents who said the development will compromise the suburb’s heritage and was inconsistent with the council’s strategic plan for the area.
Morpeth Land (the company proposing the seniors’ development) Director Brad Everett said seniors living is the best use for the site.
He said the $5 to $6 million development includes the purchase of the former Morpeth Bowling Club site, the refurbishment of the old club and establishment of a pre-school and the development of 22 single-storey seniors’ living homes.
“This has to be a far better use than what is already permissible on the site such as indoor recreation, serviced apartments or a caravan park.
“I’m sure people don’t realise but had the club still been operating as a licensed venue, a seniors’ living development would have been permissible on the site.”
“We are not dealing with a rural zoned site, the land has been used for many years as a bowling club with a high turnover of vehicles and patron activity during the day and night.
“For the past four years the site has lay dormant, boarded up in a state of disrepair. The childcare centre opens next week and our hope is to move through the approval process and construct the seniors’ living facility in 2017.”
He said housing our older population is a key planning platform. “We are seeking to provide a high quality, affordable, freehold option for seniors currently not available in Morpeth. We have already had inquiries from interested people already living in Morpeth expressing an interest in purchasing homes on the site.
Councillor Steve Procter moved that council push ahead for a second chance at rezoning. “I’d like to see this go to the next stage. This is an excellent opportunity to review the Morpeth Management Plan. There have been a lot of things rejected in Morpeth over the years. We can’t put a fence around Morpeth,” Cr Procter said.
