And its over-55 population grows faster than anywhere else in Port Stephens, at 11.72 per cent a year, as published in Port Stephens Council’s Ageing Strategy last month.

"I've got more than a few friends in Probus who would move into a townhouse here if there were any," Terry Corcoran, 75, said.

He knows all his neighbours and has been on the Medowie Community Centre committee for nearly 20 years, after making Medowie home in Easter 1986.  But the shock death of wife Loretta last year changed everything.

"It's a nice house but it's a lot to look after," he said.

"I'm not ready yet but in 18 months to two years I will be - I've still got a lot of her things I'll have to part with."

His friend, Cr Geoff Dingle, showed him concept plans for council land behind the Medowie shops that included townhouses.

"I said to Geoff, 'that would be ideal, for me'," Mr Corcoran said.

"I could walk to the shops and it wouldn't have the upkeep this does.

“It's not far away so I could still call in on my old neighbours."

The council has resolved to rezone land it owns directly behind Woolworths from 'R2' low-density housing to 'B2'  that would allow for a mixture of shops and high density homes.

Parallel to this there's the Draft Medowie Town Centre master plan, on public exhibition, alongside the Draft Revised Medowie Planning Strategy, that will shape future development.

"There's very little in the way of flats and townhouses here," Cr Dingle said.

"People are coming to Medowie from the Central Coast and Sydney because it's affordable.

"But when they hit 65, 70 they ask themselves 'how do we downsize'? A lot of people are moving to Fern Bay.”

Cr Dingle said now was the time to talk about these options with Medowie approaching 10,000 residents.

"If we talk about it and put it in our strategy then developers might put their ears up," he said.

"Behind the shops is the ideal place for it."

The council's strategy and environment section manager David Rowland urged people to have their say before the April 21 cut-off.

"The draft Medowie Town Centre master plan that is currently on exhibition with the draft Revised Medowie Planning Strategy provides two options for the development of the current commercial centre; one for additional residential and one for additional commercial land use,” he said. 

“The proposed B2 designation provides the capacity for either option to come to fruition.”