Church plans $127m seniors units in its catchment
LOS ANGELES: The trend for established religions to use their surplus land for seniors housing is growing.
The Uniting Church has a $127 million plan to build 152 units for seniors’ accommodation a stone’s throw from Stockland Shellharbour.
The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust has lodged plans with Shellharbour City Council for four buildings – labelled in the plans as R1, R2, R3 and R4 – which will be between four and six storeys along with two separate levels of basement parking.
The site is on Wattle Road, immediately north of existing townhouses on the Benson Street corner.
Consent for the development concept was given in 2014 for 11 separate buildings – totalling 352 independent living units – on the larger Wattle Street site.
This new development application is for the construction of the first stage in the project.
The apartment breakdown will see 32 one-bedroom units, 101 two-bedders and 19 three-bedders. The two levels of underground parking will provide 149 spaces.
“The development includes a variety of communal open spaces designed to promote community engagement, with areas for socialising and quieter spaces for individual activities, including but not limited to a clubhouse and library,” the statement of environmental effects said.
“These spaces are fully accessible to all residents, ensuring equitable use. The clubrooms offer domestic cooking facilities, mainly for reheating meals, providing a convenient space for residents to prepare light meals.”
To gain approval, the council will have to waive the 12-metre maximum height zoning for the site; the heights of all four proposed buildings range between 16 and 20.8 metres.
A variation request dealing with this height breach of up to 8.8 metres – which in some buildings accounts for almost two storeys – has been lodged with the application.
That request noted the height breach allowed for the inclusion of 36 units “for critically needed seniors housing”.
