A proposal to build a $172.5M multi-storey retirement village on the Mingara athletics track grassed parking area has drawn the ire of a number of athletic organisations and residents concerned about the loss of parking and bulk and scale of the development.
Currently under planning assessment with the Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure as a State Significant development, the proposal includes 219 two and three-bedroom independent living units and 39 high care beds across 13 two-storey villa buildings, three 5-6 storey independent living unit buildings and one six-storey mixed use building with high care beds.
There will also be communal facilities including a café, bar, multi-purpose and consulting rooms.
The development application states 549 jobs would be created during the construction phase and 24 ongoing jobs.
The application, lodged by Mingara Recreation Club in partnership with Pariter, has received 62 submissions with the overwhelming majority objecting to the loss of parking and overdevelopment of the site.
Objections were lodged by Little Athletics NSW, Mingara Regional Athletics Club, Killarney Vale Athletics and Central Coast Athletics, among others.
The groups pointed out the grassed overflow parking area, the proposed site of the seniors’ development, was part of the original development application consent.
The athletics track was established 24 years ago and is now used by an estimated 60,000 athletes a year.
One objector, Fiona Mulrooney, said the regional facility was used day and night by many different groups, local senior and Little Athletics clubs, soccer clubs, regional athletic carnivals, school athletics championships, cross Fit Training, Relay for Life, Christmas Carols and Central Coast Sport Academy.
“Parking is the make or break of hosting major events and this development proposal significantly impacts on the ability of the community to access the Central Coast Regional Athletic Track established 24 years ago,” she said.
Kaye Lovie, who was president of Central Coast Athletics when a regional athletic track was first proposed as a joint venture between Wyong Council, Gosford Council, Central Coast Athletics and the NSW Government, objected to the proposal on behalf of herself, Central Coast Athletics and users of Central Coast Regional Athletics Track.
She said the community worked together to get the required funding for the regional facility.
“We strongly object to the … proposal that the 150 adjacent parking spaces be removed; it is in conflict with council approval, unsafe and lacks merit and justification,” she wrote.
“The spaces are a council approved condition of consent.
“It is unacceptable to have young children and disabled athletes not have direct access to this long-established regional facility.”
A submission from Central Coast Council outlined its concerns with the proposal including transport and parking, flooding and poor architecture and design.
Member for The Entrance David Mehan also lodged an objection describing the proposal as a “gross overdevelopment of the site” and concerns over parking and the proposed height of the building.
How many poker machines does Mingara currently have? I bet the clever folk at Mingara Leisure Group management thought they’d hit the jackpot by building a retirement home on top of their casino… “Come for the cheap food, stay to empty your pension into our pokies!” What thieves.
Maybe Mingara should reread their mission statement. Nowhere will it say we will act as the neighbourhood bully. Your utter lack of concern with the surrounding community is the definition of condescension. Rather than respond to the local community’s concerns including those of Central Coast Council you ran to the NSW government for relief. You receive significant tax breaks from the NSW government to operate as a community recreation club. It’s time the NSW government ensures you do.
The arrogance continues. Mingara Leisure Group has at no time shown anything but disdain and contempt for the local community. community consultation being a farce to just tick necessary boxes, ignoring local councils recommendations on the first DA submitted to such an extent that the new DA has come back bigger, crushing more buildings, more people into this small area of land, traffic survey done at Kincumber!!! advertising medical services that are no longer taking new patients. moving retired seniors into homes that has nothing but Mingara, and its poker machinesclose by.The concerns that community who helped them grow to the huge club it is ignored. Their proposal will put a mini city in a beautiful residential area. Arrrogance and confidence in the power of their dollar that they are already advertising their apartments for sale. Shame on the government for supporting this money grab.
I agree on building more retirement homes and seniors living villages as we are going to need it in the next 10 years but not by clubs whose goal is for these seniors to spend all their money through their pokie machines. Sick of clubs trying to claim they are good for communities. Until they get rid of all pokie machines I will never believe it.