As indicated at the Public Meeting on Thursday, it is planned to form an Incorporated Society, with the primary purpose of co-ordinating our opposition to the proposed Qualcare development.
The draft rules and the agenda for the meeting (to be held Monday 1 October, 7:30pm at the Tahapa Crescent Community Hall) are at the following links (both are PDF documents):
Click on the links below to download:
Submission template (Word document)
Slides from Public Meeting (PDF document)
Executive Summary from Qualcare's application (PDF document)
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER
Find out about the proposed Meadowbank Village re-development,
What impact will it have on the community, and what YOU can do about it.
Where: Tahapa Community Hall, Tahapa Crescent
When: 7:30pm, Thursday 27 September
Guidance will be given on how to prepare a submission on Qualcare’s Resource Consent application. We want everyone’s voice to be effectively heard by Council.
Please make attendance a priority, and encourage your neighbours and friends to come.
Remember, submissions close Friday 5 October
Public Notification of the application by Qualcare appeared in this weekend's City Scene - details below:
"The applicant proposes to demolish the majority of existing buildings on the above site and construct a retirement village. The proposed retirement village will consist of 228 apartments, a range of community facilities, including a restaurant, gymnasium and cinema, and a care facility comprising 30 suites. Approximately 26 full-time staff will be employed on the site at any one time.
The retirement village will comprise nine centrally located interconnected buildings, two free-standing connected buildings and six existing cottages. The proposed buildings range in height from single storey to five storeys. The subject site is located in the residential 6a zone where a retirement village is a discretionary activity.
The proposal also infringes the maximum height control by 9.6 metres and the height in relation to boundary control. Consent is also required for tree works, earthworks, car parking and vehicular access. Overall, a discretionary activity consent is required under the Auckland City District Plan - Isthmus Section.
Address for submissions
Auckland City Council, Private Bag 92516 Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141 (attention: administration officer, regulatory services). Phone 379 2020, fax 353 9255.
You must also send a copy of your submission to:
Bentley & Co, P O Box 4492 Shortland Street, Auckland 1140.
Closing date for submissions: 5 October 2007.
Your submission must be in writing, dated, signed and include the following information:
You can get submission forms from online or from any Auckland City Council library or service centre."
Trees and vegetation is indicative of what is existing on site and includes neighbours trees that are just next to the boundary fence.
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
Qualcare lodged a resource consent application last Wed (25 July) for the redevelopment of Meadowbank Village. Formal notification of this is expected from Council within 3 weeks, and then we will have 4 weeks (20 working days) to lodge submissions.
The main architectural drawings are to be made available by Qualcare via the internet - I do not have the link for this yet. An open day is also to be held at the Meadowbank Village site, date yet to be announced.
There is still no sign of a Resource Consent Application from Qualcare - it was expected late May.
Some of you may not be aware of the full size and scale of the proposed re-development, so I will outline the main features of the development below.
The plan is to demolish EVERYTHING on site, with the exception of six cottages in the southeast corner (MacPherson/Bonnie Brae corner).
The replacement buildings will be a number of 2,3,4,5 storey apartment blocks. These apartment blocks will house 240 apartments (one, two and three bedroom – the majority being 2 bedroom) and a 44 bed hospital. There will be a large underground car-park, and some above ground parking. It is expected that there will be approximately 450 people (residents & staff) on site once the development is completed - currently there are less than 170 people on site. A number of mature trees will be removed to make way for the apartments. The construction period is estimated to be anywhere between 5 and 10 years.
There are major implications resulting from the above, including:
Note that if the whole site was to be used for housing, the absolute maximum number of houses that could be built is 68 - somewhat less than the 240 apartments proposed. This is a HIGH density development. In addition, Qualcare are proposing to have 40% site coverage, whereas under the District Plan they are only allowed 35%.
Do you want 5 storey apartment blocks in our neighbourhood? Do you want this to set a precedent for other developments in the area?
I appreciate that a number of you have already acted by contacting me, but please do more – ensure that your neighbours know the full extent of the proposed development. Please get out and meet your neighbours and get them to contact me. We have put in a leaflet in most letterboxes in Meadowbank, but I'm sure that some leaflets were treated as junk mail.
Ownership:
32% - Hermitage Holdings (New Zealand)
27% - Qualcare Holdings NV (Belgium)
37% - Ironbridge Capital PTY Ltd (Australia)
4% - 4 individuals
If you are reading this because you recently received a leaflet in your letterbox regarding this development, please email me:
actionmeadowbank AT slingshot.co.nz (replace the ' AT ' with '@' - I've written it like that to stop the spammers!).
By emailing me you will be kept informed of any news about the development and more importantly be informed when the resource consent application has been lodged. I can also provide further information about the concept plans that have been released by Qualcare.
A photo of the apartments at Qualcare's Lady Allum Lifestyle Care & Village, Milford, North Shore.
The Ministry for the Environment has a useful webpage titled An Everyday Guide to the Resource Management Act Series - you can download booklets or order printed copies via email. Three useful sections are:
3.1 Your Rights as an ‘Affected Person’
3.2 Making a Submission on a Resource Consent
3.3 Appearing at a Resource Consent Hearing
These images give an idea of the size and bulk of the proposed development compared to the current large building. The original photo was taken from Meadowbank Rd. The new development will have a wide visual impact from all around Meadowbank and parts of Remuera and Orakei.
This shows the layout of the proposed new buildings on site. Note that the 3 cottages that are NOT to be demolished are NOT shown on this diagram (they would be at the top left of the site plan) . The approximate site coverage, including the 3 cottages, is 40% - up to 35% is allowable in a residential 6A zone.
This website is to keep the local neighbourhood informed about the proposed developments by Qualcare at the Meadowbank Retirement Village.
