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Residents are misinformed and needlessly concerned about plans for hundreds of apartments on the water's edge at Orakei, developer Tony Gapes says.
He has released an artist's impression to show that his "world-class urban development" designed by three of this country's "leading architectural groups" would be upmarket, attractive and have a low visual impact.
One of the architects, Walker Architects, designed Mr Gapes' bulky Scene One, Scene Two and Scene Three apartment blocks at Beach Rd on the city waterfront. The other architects are Mitchell Stout and Hillery Priest.
Mr Gapes said the Orakei project was consistent with the vision of urban intensification around transport hubs and essentially complied with zoning rules for the land, including height. The project included a 20m-wide conservation strip for public access to the waterfront.
"Suggestions that another 700 cars will be joining commuters on Orakei Rd are, according to our traffic engineers, fanciful and somewhat mischievous," he said.
Orakei and Remuera residents fear loss of harbour views and traffic congestion and have formed the Orakei Residents' Society. Local politicians from Citizens & Ratepayers Now, Action Hobson and City Vision have united to fight the project.
The society has hired top environmental lawyer Richard Brabant to overturn the decision by the Auckland City Council to approve the first stage for 42 apartments on a non-notified basis at 246 Orakei Rd. Submissions have closed on a notified application for consent to build 203 apartments nearby at 228 Orakei Rd.
Companies Mr Gapes is associated with eventually plan to build about 400 apartments, many of them one bedroomed, with prices starting at $400,000.
"It is pointless to criticise the development for having one-bedroom apartments since they are very much part of the solution for Auckland, not the problem," he said.
"With the development of a park-and-ride scheme on the site with capacity for 200 cars and the adjacent railway station, we anticipate the greater number of residents at 228 and 246 will see the benefit of taking public transport into the city."
Society spokeswoman Linda Sheridan said all the community wanted was input into the development.
"We don't want a concrete jungle. Let's be frank. The development is all about money. He [Mr Gapes] will come in, build his development and leave us with the mess."
