Graeme Skerrit lodged the $98.5 million State Significant Development in October 2022 and The Weekly SOURCE was informed by the NSW Independent Planning Commission it had been approved last Friday (4 April).
The approval is for 58 luxury independent living units under the brand Amara Residences Cremorne, a 41-bed residential care facility - Pathways Cremorne - supporting ancillary uses, and a publicly accessible through-site link.
"This has been many years in the making and we are delighted to now bring our vision for Cremorene to life," said Graeme, Founder and Managing Director of Pathways Residences. "This project not only sets a new standard for seniors housing bujt also plays a small but important role in addressing the housing crises by enabling local older residents to right-size, freeing up existing family homes for the next generation."
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) recommended the project in February. The development application was referred to the Independent Planning Commission for determination because more than 50 public objections were made to DPHI and North Sydney Council objected to the proposal.
The Commission found the project by Morrison Design Partnership and Chrofi “has been well designed to address the heritage significance of the locality and that it provides a suitable design response to the site constraints and opportunities”.
The conditions require the applicant to, among other requirements:
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Include community consultation into the project’s construction and environmental management plan;
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protect significant building fabric of local heritage items; and
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ensure a suitably qualified heritage architect supervises works to heritage items.
Amara Cremorne by Pathways is the sixth application approved since the planning pathway opened in November 2021, with approvals given for:
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Montefiore’s $83 million development of 87 independent retirement living units in Randwick, 6km southeast of Sydney's CBD;
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BaptistCare’s $190 million co-living development at its Carlingford birthplace, 22km northwest of Sydney’s CBD;
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Uniting’s $300 million 400-bed continuum of care development in Charlestown, Newcastle;
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HammondCare’s $82 million plan to demolish its Neringah Hospital site at Wahroonga in Sydney’s Upper North Shore, for a major senior housing project;
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Opal HealthCare’s Narwee Parklands Community Care plan on the site of a former BUPA aged care home, 18km south of Sydney/s CBD.
