Residents enjoying new villas built as part of development’s stage two
NINE months after the opening of stage one of the Observatory Village in August 2017, stage two is nearing completion.
The extension is due to open for new residents at the end of July 2018, and work is progressing very well under the same construction team.
Part of stage two of the communityowned retirement village is the construction of 18 villas.
These are standalone independentliving units of either two or three bedrooms. There are three designs to choose from, and residents can choose from the fitout options. As of the end of April, 13 of the 18 villas had been sold, with eight occupied.
Residents residing in the villas are loving their new homes and the companionship and security that living at the village provides.
John and Betsy McKenzie have been in their villa since November 30. John said the couple’s son and daughterinlaw thought a villa at the village would suit them perfectly and be the ‘‘ideal spot’’.
After considering other options, Mr and Mrs McKenzie signed on the dotted line to become part of the village community.
Mrs McKenzie said it turned out to be one of the best decisions the couple has made.
‘‘We lived in an old place all our married life; we never lived in a new house. All of the houses we looked at in Oamaru were too big. This was perfect for us.
‘‘It was a great move. If anything happened to one of us the other would be looked after.’’
Mr McKenzie enjoyed living at the village because of its friendly atmosphere, caring staff and, of course, the location.
‘‘We’re in town, but we’re in the country. Everything is so handy, if you need anything from down in the village they are only too pleased to come and help. It’s fantastic. We can’t fault it.’’
The vllas are purchased under an Occupation Right Agreement (ORA). This is an industryrecognised structure under the Retirement Villages Act 2003.
An ORA is a written agreement which gives a resident the right to occupy their unit. The agreement is between the resident and the village operator, and specifies the terms and conditions which apply to occupation and the charges payable by the resident.
Observatory Village now has a completed villa available as a show home, and interested parties are invited to make contact with the village to arrange an appointment to view.
Development of the next 10 apartments overlooking Oamaru and the harbour will commence in May. It is anticipated that these will be signed up by the existing interest list over the coming months.
Meanwhile, the new carecentre extension includes space for up to 40 more resident rooms, with 20 rooms being completed initially.
The care centre extension will include the 20 resident rooms, six of which will be care suites with kitchenette and other superior finishes.
Also within the extension is another large lounge and dining area, a storeroom, utility room, and nurses’ station.
Pressure from the community for residential aged care has meant that the stagetwo development has been actioned earlier than expected. The 41 existing carecentre rooms have been fully occupied since opening in August, and the facility has a waiting list of potential residents.
The care centre provides resthome and hospitallevel care and is staffed by registered nurses and qualified caregivers on every shift.
Construction of the $22million retirement village started in February 2016, and was completed in late July 2017.
A 2012 report commissioned by Waitaki District Health Services looked at Waitaki’s demographics, industry providers, the age and suitability of facilities, and the feasibility of developing a retirement village.
At the time, the Waitaki District Councilowned company did not have the required funds to go ahead with the project until the council stepped in, and in October 2015 approved a loan of $8 million to proceed with the project.
Another council loan of $3.5 million was approved in August so the second stage of construction could start.
The village is owned and operated by the Observatory Village Charitable Trust, established by Waitaki District Health Services.