Gold Coast: Residents fight plans for 18-storey Broadbeach building

Residents from two Gold Coast towers are fighting plans for an 18-storey building they say is an “overdevelopment” of the area.

RESIDENTS from two Broadbeach towers are fighting plans for an 18-storey building they say is an “overdevelopment” of the area.

Developer Andrews Projects has put in a development application for the 15-unit Sand Broadbeach project at 120 Old Burleigh Rd.

The proposal would see the building constructed next to the Eclipse and La Grande buildings with what lawyer Ron Frigo says are “minimal setbacks” and imposing “adverse visual and amenity impacts” on adjacent residents.

Mr Frigo has been engaged by the body corporates of Eclipse and La Grande to represent the views of residents to town planners at the Gold Coast City Council.

The development is code assessable, meaning it does not need to be publicly notified, with a decision due by April 30.

Residents of Eclipse and La Grande in Broadbeach: Warren Newcombe, Linda Newcombe and Garry Muldoon. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

Mr Frigo said the proposed setbacks, which refer to the minimum distance which a building must be set back from another structure, would result in overshadowing, intrusion on privacy and an erosion of view corridors and sky views.

“The design does not sufficiently respect the scale, form and setting of adjacent properties – it does not complement and is incompatible with the existing character and local setting of Old Burleigh Road,” he said.

“The development is likely to cause increases in traffic and parking demands in the Broadbeach area which is an area already impacted by traffic congestion and a lack of parking.”

Warren Newcombe, Linda Newcombe and Garry Muldoon. Photograph: Jason O'Brien

John Nikolovski, who owns two units in Eclipse, said the development may be code assessable but council officers still need to take the views of residents into account.

“Some of the residents are in their 70s and have put all their life savings into their apartment and they will get stonewalled with this development,” he said.

“It is me driving it because I feel really sorry for these people.

“I am also effected because I have two apartments on the north west side and I spend a lot of time on my balcony and I will have 18 storeys of building right behind me.”

Sarah Andrews, who is sales manager for Andrews Projects, said: “Andrews Projects are committed to developing quality projects of an international standard. All matters will be resolved with council”.

She declined to comment on whether there would be changes to the application.