Minda lodges plans for seven-storey buildings as part of its $260 million development at North Brighton

PLANS worth more than $77 million — and including buildings up to seven storeys — have now been lodged for Minda’s North Brighton site. Here’s what stage 2 of the $260m masterplan involves.

Artist impression of $200 million masterplan for redevelopment of the Minda campus at North Brighton.

SOUTH Australian disability service provider Minda has lodged plans worth more than $77 million for buildings of up to seven storeys on its North Brighton site.

The newest plans to be lodged with the Development Assessment Commission include 115 houses, units and apartments across 19 buildings and form the second stage of a $260 million, three-stage masterplan.

The overall development, tipped to create 500 jobs during its construction, spans 28ha of Minda-owned land on King George Ave.

Sixty-eight retirement living apartments will be sold to the public while the rest of the accommodation will be for Minda clients.

Minda’s masterplan also allows for a path along the shore between Repton Rd and Gladstone Rd — part of the 70km coast park from North Haven to Sellicks Beach and the last missing section of the path between Grange and Seacliff.

It is not yet known when the path, likely to cost about $4m, will be created although Holdfast Bay Council released draft plans for comment last November: While it will be on Minda land, the path will be jointly funded by council and the State Government.

Minda chief executive Cathy Miller said the disability care organisation wanted to replace outdated homes for Minda residents with “fit-for-purpose quality accommodation”.

“Designs will consider the impact and integration within the local environment and aim to strike a balance with retaining the open space connection across the Brighton property,” Ms Miller said.

“It is Minda’s intention to have taller buildings located centrally on the Minda site, with buildings staggered downwards in height towards the boundaries to best integrate into the local environment.”

Minda won approval from the State Government in August to change zoning on its property to allow buildings up to nine storeys along the coast.

A nine-storey retirement living building, as well as eight-, seven- and four-storey buildings, form the final stage of the masterplan.

In stage one, a $40 million three-storey retirement village was completed on Repton Rd, in December 2014.

An artist’s impression of Minda redevelopment.

The Save Brighton group was formed in opposition to Minda’s rezoning.

Spokesman Mark Laurie said the five- and seven-storey buildings proposed as part of stage two would be “very intrusive and confronting” because of their limited setbacks from the beach and ugly concrete-block designs.

“South Australian taxpayers have every right to be fearful of the potential financial implications of Minda acting as a large-scale developer,” Mr Laurie said.

“I note that Minda’s scorched earth policy continues with an application to cut down six regulated trees.

“This is rather emblematic of Minda’s approach to make few concessions to the natural environment.”

“No doubt there will be rather more unregulated trees also headed for the chipper in what is continuing as a very successful quest to denude the precinct of greenery of any magnitude and heritage.”

However, Ms Miller said Minda had no plans to remove more trees than the six in the development application.

“Minda goes to great lengths to preserve and maintain the natural heritage value at its Brighton site and has a well-established program in place to monitor and maintain its significant and regulated trees,” she said.

Minda will finance the latest part of its development with money from the sale of apartments in the first stage, along with bank loans.

What Stage 2 of the Minda development involves

ELEVEN single-storey group dwellings

FOUR single-storey flat blocks

TWO three-storey flat blocks (total 32 dwellings)

ONE seven-storey and 1 five-storey tower (total 68 retirement living apartments)

FOUR activity halls

RECREATION area

CARPARKS, roads, paths, landscaping

REMOVAL of six regulated trees

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