The future of the old Orange Base Hospital site, including inner-city unit living, is set to be debated by Orange City Council within a few weeks.
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A public forum on the the future direction for the Prince Street site on Monday night was told planning would 'progress quickly' on the project.
Residents have only until Friday to lodge a submission on the indicative proposal currently on public exhibition.
We grow about 260 houses a year
- Mark Hodges, Orange City Council
The designs feature a development of up to five storeys high with 61 units and 15 townhouses surrounding a central public park.
Eight submissions have been received so far.
Council's Development Service director Mark Hodges told the meeting it was expected councillors would consider the plans at its April 6 meeting.
"It [will] progress quickly because it is a local control, it is our control," he said. OCC owns the site.
Council is seeking to develop planning controls including the project's height, setbacks, materials and finishes, car parking and open space before selling the land to developers.
There would be access for staff from the neighbouring DPIE building which opened a few months ago.
Mr Hodges said the inner-city living plan would offer an alternative housing option for home buyers and renters in Orange where demand was high.
"We grow about 260 houses a year," he said.
The meeting was also told retaining trees and greenspace were key factors in the plans.
Mr Hodges said that included retaining the trees in the centre of Dalton Street.
"The plan was around keeping those," he said.
Council's acting director of Corporate and Commercial Services Nick Redmond said concerns in submissions received so far included car parking and the future of Sale Street between Prince and Dalton streets.
Mr Redmond said he expected the project would be desirable to developers.
He said council had considered developing the site itself but was preferring to set planning limits and sell it to a developer.
Unlike council's last public forum on February 25 where 160 people attended to discuss mountain biking plans for Mount Canoblas Monday's forum had about 17 people attend.
They included local business operators who said they were concerned about car parking, Sale Street and the size of the development.
The Development Control Plan is available for comment on council's website and at the council offices until Friday.
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