$3.7 million housing development in Orange open for comment

By David Fitzsimons

A $3.7 million project to provide housing for seniors and people with a disability has been proposed for Orange.

Mercy Connect, which is sponsored by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, is planning to build a facility consisting of four homes, a social pavilion, staff accommodation and a car port on The Escort Way near the intersection with the Northern Distributor Road.

Plans for the facility, on 2,446 square metres of land, are currently on public exhibition at Orange City Council.

The development application says the facility would help ease a shortage of accommodation for people with disabilities and seniors in Orange.

“It will rationalise and consolidate existing Mercy Connect accommodation in the Orange LGA,” the DA says.

“It will increase the availability of diverse and high-demand housing for dependent persons in the community.”

Vehicle access would be onto The Escort Way with the DA forecasting the facility would generate 40 vehicle trips a day.

Each of the four homes would be self-contained with ensuites, kitchen and living areas.

One would have three bedrooms while the others would have two bedrooms each.

It is on exhibition for public comment until Tuesday January 25.