Residents in Canberra's inner south are calling for a review of the planning decision to approve a 129-bed aged care facility in Kingston.
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The proposal for the four-storey building on Gosse Street behind St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, lodged by Sydney-based aged care operators St Basil's, was approved last month.
Currently, there is a single storey 20-bed aged facility developed in the 1990s as part of the church precinct, but has been vacant for about 18 months.
Gosse Street resident Stephen Mills said residents were "frustrated" with the planning process that would "deliver a hospital-sized nursing home on to our front doors".
"We want to emphasise that residents do not oppose redevelopment of the existing 20-bed nursing home but we do call for significant modifications," Mr Mills said.
"At 129 beds, the St Basil's facility would be half the size of one of Canberra's major hospitals, Calvary Hospital at Bruce which has 256 beds, on a tiny fraction of the land space."
The development will provide medium to high-level care as well as dementia and respite care. It will include a laundry, a hairdresser, medical consulting rooms, a men's shed, a chapel and accommodation for visiting priests. Seventeen car and 12 bike spaces are included on the site.
Five regulated ghost gum trees on the block will be removed.
Mr Mills said the group wanted a smaller development and for traffic to be diverted to Telopea Park Road or Wentworth Avenue.
Gosse Street is largely home to townhouses and Mr Mills said the new building would impact on traffic.
The existing driveway on Gosse Street will be used as the main entry, ambulance entry, and some visitor access. Basement carpark, services vehicles and hearse access will be via a new driveway also off Gosse Street at the southern end of the site.
"It will generate 24/7 traffic movements along a narrow dog-legged street that is already at peak capacity given the church, the Bus Depot Markets, and arts precinct, as well as residents," Mr Mills said, calling for the developers to work with the residents.
St Basil's head of property Spiro Stavis said the new facility would bring much needed aged care accommodation to the area.
The group had carried out "extensive traffic analysis".
"Their advice is that the demands of the new facility will not adversely impact on the surrounding road network," Mr Stavis said.
According to the application, the ACT government's transport directorate said the development did not require any traffic improvements or calming measures and said it could not support any type of driveway access from Wentworth Avenue on traffic grounds since it would mean traversing stormwater easement. Both driveways were the most feasible option.
"It should also be noted that [the directorate] has only supported the reuse of the existing driveway for access to a 'limited' number of vehicles due to its proximity to Wentworth Avenue which is a major road," the application said.
On Wednesday residents met and voted to appeal to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Labor Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and the Greens' Shane Rattenbury attended the meeting.
Mr Rattenbury said he encouraged St Basil's to sit down and consult "more closely" with local residents.
"Residents in this area have a number of practical solutions in mind that will help ensure this development is considerate of its neighbours," Mr Rattenbury said.
“The eucalypts in the area should be maintained. Not only are Canberra's trees a big part of our status as the bush capital and garden city, neighborhoods without good tree canopy shade can be up to 13 degrees hotter on a scorching summer day.
The development is estimated to cost more than $32 million.
