Seven properties including a childcare centre will be demolished to make way for the three-storey $26.3 million development in St Ives, 18km north of the CBD, after the private operator agreed to scale down the size of the building from the original 2018 plans.
Arcare and the Ku-ring-gai Council had been forced into mediation after the Council failed to make a ruling on the application within the deemed refusal period and the provider took the case to the court.
Under the amended plans, the number of beds has been reduced by five beds while the height of the building has also been decreased and the landscaping altered.
Land and Environment Court commissioner Susan Dixon approved the project on 124 conditions – including that Arcare pay the Council $1.14 million in “developer contributions” towards recreational facilities in the council region.
Who’s the real winner then?
