Milton Meadows- A Hollow Victory- Land Zoned for Aged Care

At long last the saga of  Milton Meadows @ Milton ( farm land just North of the caravan park) has been resolved.
The community fought long and hard to have the land retained in the scenic zone that helps protect the village identity of Milton and stop sprawl from connecting Milton to Ulladulla.
Last year a move from some Councillors would have meant that the land could be used as a rural subdivision and carved in 2000m2 blocks.
This was against the position that after much debate the community had arrived at- that if the land was to be built upon that it had to be for the greatest good-a retirement complex that included a high care facility.
The community came out in force and with much pressure got Clrs Ward and Guile to reverse their position and support the community.
Council then advised the Department of Planning that it did not support a change of zoning that allowed rural residential but requested the Department place an allowance clause that supported an aged care facility.
This week the Dept released a memo that supported the recommendation that ultimately came from the community- no development other than aged care.
It feels like a hollow victory - the land will ultimately be developed in an aged care fashion but must have the support of the Roads and Traffic Authority. A small amount of remnant rain forest vegetation will be retained as a watercourse buffer- but the all important ridge line will be lost as an undeveloped part of Milton's rural setting.

So now we wait and hope that an architect sympathetic to sustainable living and the rural landscape is engaged to produce a plan that creates a place for the aged that we can all be proud off and feel that it was worth compromising for.