Chirnside Park: Summerset retirement village proposed for Manchester Road

Despite neighbours’ fears about parking and traffic, a huge development catering for 600 people has been ticked off for Chirnside Park.

Plans for the Summerset retirement village (pictured far back right) will be considered by Yarra Ranges councillors at Tuesday night’s meeting. Picture: Colliers, Stonebridge

A $146m retirement village is coming to Chirnside Park, with the huge development set to be built behind a new shopping precinct.

A planning application for the proposed village known as Summerset Chirnside Park, at 275 Manchester Rd, was approved by Yarra Ranges councillors at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The proposed development for the 9.2ha site includes a retirement village with 192 independent living units; a residential aged care facility with 100 rooms, a swimming pool, gymnasium, theatre and salon; two four storey apartment buildings, and multiple dwellings.

All up, the development will cater for 600 residents.

Cr Richard Higgins said it was an “absolutely huge” development, but the detailed plan for the site ticked a lot of boxes.

Cr Higgins said Chirnside Park needed a nursing home and retirement village.

“It’s something that is ideal right next to the shopping centres and there’s buses right across the road,” he said.

“This is a huge application, millions and millions of dollars are being spent, millions of dollars of job creation, a permanent nursing home and a retirement village for the area.”

Summerset said the vision for the new community was to create a vibrant, diverse neighbourhood combining aged care and independent living homes with a residential area and landscaped open space and streets.

A render of the proposed Summerset retirement village in Chirnside Park.

“The proposal provides a significant contribution to the economy through capital investment, employment through the construction stage and ongoing employment through the operation of the retirement village,” a town planning report said.

The plan attracted 29 objections and a petition with 11 signatures, with residents worried about increased traffic creating safety concerns for the parks and primary school; multi storey/apartment buildings not being suitable for retirees; insufficient carparking; and not being given enough time to respond to the council about the application.

The council report a traffic impact assessment was submitted with the application and the council’s traffic engineer had reviewed the proposal and considered it acceptable, subject to conditions.

“It is not anticipated that this development will cause any additional safety concerns for the park and primary school nearby,” the report noted.

The new Chirnside Lifestyle Centre is to the west of the site, with that precinct set to soon welcome “every day retailers” Baby Bunting, Chemist Warehouse, Harris Scarfe, Fantastic Furniture, Carpet Call, Ashley Furniture, Bargain Barn, Early Settler and fast food giants Taco Bell and Subway.