Council approves plans for IOOF housing site

An architectural montage of blending the old with the new

Central Coast Council has approved an application to convert the former IOOF aged housing site in Springwood St, Umina, into a manufactured home park.

However, the proposal was regarded as “interim” with plans that “the site will be comprehensively developed in the medium term”, according to a Council assessment. The approval provides for the 12 existing cottages to be retained and 16 manufactured homes to be added. Nine of the new homes will be one-bedroom and seven will be two-bedroom. An existing disused hall will be converted into two units suitable for self-care seniors.

Nine of the new homes will be one-bedroom and seven will be two-bedroom. An existing disused hall will be converted into two units suitable for self-care seniors.

The proposal approved by Council on December 4 will protect three remaining residents who have life tenancies under a current lease agreement. The application was submitted by Peninsula Village Ltd and is expected to cost $1.8 million.

The existing single bedroom cottages were built for aged accommodation on the 8808 square metre site by the Independent Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society in 1959. In 2010 Council refused an application (DA 15511/2002) to demolish the buildings and build 20 new aged care units…

This story was published first in the Peninsula News print edition 486