Former NBA star Bogut’s bayside mansion plan goes to vote

Former NBA star Andrew Bogut has just one more hoop to jump through to build his $5 million bayside mansion.

Andrew Bogut worries the plans will be blocked at the last minute by “politics”. Picture: Jonathan Ng

AUSSIE basketball great Andrew Bogut looks set to slam dunk his bid to build a dream $5 million mega mansion in Melbourne.

Bayside Council will consider clearing the way for the NBA champion to develop a luxury Beaumaris property with a half size basketball court and rooftop deck on Tuesday.

Council planners will recommend granting a permit, subject to conditions, stating: “The dwelling has been designed in response to the site and reflects its bayside and Beach Rd setting’’.

But Bogut told the Herald Sun he was concerned his bid would be blocked by politics despite “passing planning with flying colours’’ and was preparing to take his fight to VCAT.

Images from the planning application the Beaumaris home.

What the home will look like.

“The council planners were happy with our plans and said everything was good by code, apart from a question mark around a couple of trees,’’ he said.

“The word we got was that the pollies were going to knock it back regardless, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a council planning division.’’

Bogut’s plans for a 16 car stacker, home cinema, fences up to 2.2m high, summer house, home cinema, pool, gym and cellar will be put to a vote of councillors on Tuesday night.

He has appealed plans for the 2374 sqm home to VCAT after the council failed to make a decision on an application he lodged last February in the statutory time frame.

“You would like to think with the amount of council rates we pay in Bayside, which are very high compared to other councils, they could get this done quicker than a year,’’ he said.

“But that is what we’re dealing with.’’

The Beaumaris block where Bogut’s dream home will be built.

The planning application for the property includes a half-sized basketball court and rooftop deck.

Council experts said: “The proposal is considered to demonstrate an acceptable level of compliance with the preferred future character statement and precinct guidelines”.

It would be “well set back from all boundaries, maintains spacious visual separation between the abutting lot and does not dominate the streetscape.’’

Plans for the double storey dwelling with a basement and four bedrooms on two blocks near the Beaumaris Yacht Club, attracted 59 public objections and 26 votes of support.

Councillors will be advised to grant a permit, with retention of a coast banksia and giant honey myrtle tree among conditions.

Bogut hoped “the council comes to commonsense’’ but was “at wits end’’.

“It’s clear as day it’s a political play,’’ he said.

“It’s got nothing to do with something not meeting code, bar a few trees we mostly want to keep, including one which is 100 years old.’’

Beaumaris Conservation Society secretary Geoffrey Goode hoped the council rejected its planning department’s advice.

The group would appeal at VCAT, claiming “destruction of tree habitat would result from the proposed substantial excavation and soil removal’’.

The permit would expire if development was not started in two years and completed in four.

Melbourne-born-and-bred Bogut won a title with the Golden State Warriors and represented Australia at three Olympics before ending his career with the Sydney Kings last year.