Sydneysiders had a chance to weigh in on Uniting’s new vertical village in Sydney’s northwest at the Sydney Central Planning Panel last week.
The Not For Profit plans to open a mixed-use tower at the site that will house a 60-bed residential aged care facility and a mix of independent and assisted living units.
Leading concerns was Janet McGarry from the Epping Civic Trust, who claimed “vertical towers” could lead to potentially vulnerable residents feeling more “isolated”.
But Uniting’s Jenny Buchanan hit back, saying Uniting was one of the “largest aged care providers” in Australia and “experienced” in seniors living design, and added that seniors housing for aged care had come a long way from what was traditional provided years ago.
“We have chosen this site because it is in the Epping town centre and within residents to go and do their shopping and it is important to have senior housing available in the town centre,” she said.
The Trust also expressed concerns about evacuation plans, but Ms Buchanan reassured the panel, “We have the required spaces to enable evacuation of people that have mobility impairments.”
The panel is set to make a judgement on the site in the coming days.
