Clarence Lifestyle Village has been sent back to the drawing board after applying for a permit to expand its land lease community north of Hobart.
The site currently has 114 independent living units housing 165 residents.
Developers are hoping to add 53 units to the site, but to do so they need a zoning change.
The existing village was approved under Clarence’s former planning scheme, which was later revealed by the Tasmania Planning Commission to contain an error which allowed for community living on land zoned as “rural resource”.
The land earmarked for expansion is situated outside Tasmania’s Urban Growth Boundary.
To complicate matters, the developers have reportedly already sold 30 of the new units via refundable deposits.
While Council staff recommended against the proposal, the Council voted for an alternative motion from Alderman Dean Ewington to defer a ruling.
“An extension of the retirement village would seem to make sense from a land use point of view,” he said, but acknowledged concerns about design and a lack of green space.
The developers will now need the approval of the Planning Minister for any amendments to the Boundary.
