Changes could be about to happen to a prominent part of Oamaru’s landscape.
The owner of the old Oamaru hospital land has applied to the Waitaki District Council for consent to develop residential sections on the site.
Instead of applying for permission to develop 82 residential lots, as was talked about last year, Goodland Group wants to develop a 24-lot residential subdivision on the site. Once resource consent for the lots had been gained, the expansion of a motel on the site would also be considered, senior project manager Hari De Alwis said.
Last year, Goodland Group had the old Oamaru hospital demolished.
It has owned the land and buildings on the site since 2004.
Last year, Mr De Alwis said the plan was to create an 82-lot residential development, but that was flexible and would depend on what the market wanted.
He told the Otago Daily Times this week the project was still in the planning stages and there had been several meetings with the council.‘‘We’re working very hard."
The development would now be stage by stage, he said.
"One thing is for sure: it’s not idling," Mr De Alwis said.
"We are employing consultants to do the applications.
"If we get the consents, that’s the triggering point.
"You can own the land, but you can’t do anything without the council consents.
"Council planning manager Peter Kloosterman confirmed a 24-lot residential subdivision consent application had been submitted.
"We understand there may be a motel development at a later stage. However, we have not received any official application [for that]," he said.
