Developer George Mastrocostas to appeal Gold Coast City Council decision to slash 60 apartments

Developer George Mastrocostas has savaged a Gold Coast City Council move to slash at least 60 apartments from his $140 million development at Hope Island.

George Mastrocostas. Photo: Tertius Pickard

DEVELOPER George Mastrocostas has savaged a Gold Coast City Council decision to slash at least 60 apartments from his $140 million development at Hope Island.

His Aniko Group will appeal what it calls “unlawful 11th-hour” conditions placed on the 1 Grant Avenue apartment project, which he was hoping to launch with 240 apartments in January.

The council published a decision yesterday approving the application but requiring two storeys be lopped from the top of both buildings.

A statement from the council described the conditions as “lawful, reasonable and relevant”.

Mr Mastrocostas said he had been “blindsided” by the council’s move to place new conditions on a project that was “code assessable” meaning it complied with the Town Planning Scheme.

Because the application was deemed code assessable, it also did not require public submissions be taken into account, but 56 locals had already written to the council opposing it.

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An artists impression of 1 Grant Avenue, the development proposed at Hope Island by George Mastrocostas's Aniko Group. Photo: Supplied

Mr Mastrocostas said council officers told him an approval would be “a mere formality” at a special delegation meeting, which was held on December 19 and attended by Mayor Tom Tate, CEO Dale Dickson and city planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell.

“We’ve certainly been blindsided by this decision given the fact that we sufficiently responded to every concern raised by council officers during the application process,” Mr Mastrocostas said.

“It was made abundantly clear to us that council officers were in complete support of it.

“Unfortunately somewhere between council officers’ recommendation of approval and the special delegation meeting, there has been some 11th-hour condition placed on the project.

“To say we are disappointed is an understatement. It is something we did not expect and we will be appealing this decision.”

The council said the condition to remove apartments was “imposed for the purpose of reducing the density of the proposal”.

“If the matter is appealed, council will address the matter in accordance legislative procedures and requirements,” it said in a statement.

A map of 1 Grant Ave Hope Island, where the development is planned. Photo: Google

The company lodged its plans as a major change to a 96-unit development application lodged for the site in 2008 and subsequently approved.

Initially, the new development included 266 units with 577 bedrooms in two buildings between eight and 10 storeys up to 33.8m high at its highest point.

After consulting with the council, the developer reduced the density to 240 apartments with 528 bedrooms, and the height to a maximum of 26m, saying that meant it was no longer a major change to the approved plan.

While a major change would be impact assessable and subject to public consultation, a minor change would be code assessable, which means the public would not need to be consulted.

The council’s decision has agreed the application was code assessable, declaring matters raised in the public submissions are “not applicable”.

Mr Mastrocostas said the council’s condition to reduce the height of the plan was unreasonable and unnecessary as it was already within the allowable height limits for the site.

He said he hoped he could work with the council to end the “impasse”.