They received a letter last week from the Shire of Mundaring inviting comment on a $28 million proposal in Coongan Avenue near Greenmount National Park.
Greenmount residents in Chiraz, Stuart and Wortley streets say an increase in the amount of heavy and light vehicles would affect road safety in the area.
The two-storey, 150-bed nursing home with a basement would be built on a slope and appear as a three-storey building at the southern end of Chiraz Street.
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READ NOWChiraz Street resident Rob Lang said the plans showed the opening of his street, a no-through-road, to allow access to and from the proposed nursing home.
He said the derelict hospital and nursing home on the site had access for patients, visitors and service vehicles via Coongan Avenue from Scott Street.
“Allowing access from Chiraz Street would result in a 500 per cent increase in traffic movement in the area,” he said.
“Chiraz Street is a short and narrow street without footpaths.”
The applicant’s proposal also showed plans for boom gates at the end of Chiraz Street to avoid ‘rat runs’ through the site to Coongan Avenue.
Residents were also concerned for children who use their streets to reach Clayton View Primary School and walkers getting to the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail.
Mr Lang said there was poor visibility for vehicles turning on to Great Eastern Highway and more traffic could cause chaos.
Neighbour Shaun Rowlett said trucks and cars would be ‘backed up’ in Chiraz Street, with up to 45 vehicles an hour forecast in peak afternoon traffic.
He said the street was not wide enough for two trucks to pass.
“Chiraz Street has a lovely outlook, with homes on one side opposite the heritage trail,” he said.
“Who is going to look at the bigger picture? This development is going to devalue our properties and we have four weeks to object.”
He said because the application would bypass the Shire, it could be ‘bulldozed through’.
A Development Assessment Panel will determine the outcome of the nursing home proposal.
There will be two Shire councillors on the panel to represent any community and council concerns.
Development assessment panels report directly to the Minister for Planning and are not part of the Department of Planning or the WA Planning Commission.
Shire chief executive Jonathan Throssell said the derelict hospital and nursing home at the Coongan site was not at risk of demolition.
“The Undercliffe House is listed as the highest level of protection within the Shire’s Heritage List,” he said.
To comment, send a written submission to the Shire of Mundaring planning department before 4pm on Wednesday, May 25.