A group of residents in Dubbo's Yarrawonga Estate say the suburb is "angry" about plans to build a $12 million seniors housing development with 84 dwellings nearby.
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A six-member committee has formed and is rallying neighbours to lodge submissions against the proposed development for 5L Wellington Road at Dubbo.
Members of the neighbourhood came together on Sunday at the invitation of the group, which wanted to spread the message about the plans for the 2.59-hectare parcel of land.
The development application (DA) includes plans for a range of attached, semi-attached and single buildings and would be carried out in 23 stages.
The committee called on Dubbo City Council to extend the public exhibition phase and on Monday afternoon the council advised the Daily Liberal it had done so, with written submissions to now be received until 5pm on March 12.
The committee had concerns about the development type and the impact it would have on access and traffic and water and sewerage services, representative Sally Dess said.
"My objections are that there are no duplexes in the area at all and they're wanting to put 84 dwellings, which is a high-density housing development," she said.
If the proposed development was not part of the Yarrawonga Estate it should have entry via the Wellington Road, she said.
She said traffic in the area was already "a nightmare of a morning and afternoon" particularly trying to turn in and out of Castlereagh Avenue.
Ms Dess said Yarrawonga residents had to abide by a covenant requiring them to build brick-veneer houses of a certain size.
"We're not opposed to the land being used for normal residential properties, in keeping with the covenant we had to build to," she said.
Ms Dess reported receiving submissions at the meeting on Sunday from other residents as well as the circulation of a petition.
"They feel it's going to devalue their homes because of the type of houses that are proposed," she said.
"And they are very angry."
As someone who had called the area home for about 15 years, Ms Dess said it was "a beautiful area to live in" and "family-orientated".
Council building and development services manager Stephen Wallace said the DA was for the subdivision of the site into two lots, with a seniors housing development proposed for the 2.59-hectare lot that resulted.
Construction of 84 dwellings for seniors housing would consist of a range of attached, semi-attached and single buildings, he said.
There would be 50 two-bedroom and 34 three-bedroom dwellings, a community centre which included a manager's residence, swimming pool and bowling green and a visitors car park with 18 spaces.
The development would be carried out in 23 stages, he said.
"The application is undergoing preliminary assessment by council staff," he said.
"Council has agreed on an extension of the notification period to 5pm Thursday 12 March 2015.
"Written submissions are being accepted on the DA during the notification period.
"At the end of the notification period the applicant will be requested to address issues raised in the written submissions as part of the assessment process and provide any required additional information.
"Should council receive significant submissions the application will be referred to a council meeting for determination as is normal process."
The Daily Liberal attempted to contact DA applicant Coastplan Consulting for comment, but it had not returned calls by deadline.