New plans for Main Beach tower as sky garages dumped for basement parking
Developers have lodged new plans with council which show the controversial sky garages at an approved Main Beach tower dumped for underground car parking.
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THE controversial sky garages at an approved Main Beach tower have been dumped for an underground car parking, new plans show.
The Bulletin understands neighbouring residents are unlikely to oppose the changes for the 23-storey tower on an 898sq m block on Macarthur Parade near the Southport Yacht Club.
The new reports lodged by the developer to the Gold Coast City Council show landscape areas on the ground floor and podium planters would include large sculptural plantings of big native palm species and dense screening species to property boundaries.
A transport report for the 24-unit development says the project proposed 57 car parking spaces, including three spaces for visitors on the ground level.
“The proposal therefore exceeds council’s acceptable outcome for car parking,” the report adds.
Landscaping planned for the Monaco building at Main Beach on the Gold Coast.
“The proposal provides a single-lane ramp system between the ground and basement levels,” the report says.
“Given the constrained layout of the proposed car park, convex mirrors are proposed to be provided at each end of the ramp, with warning beacons on the ground level as well as each basement level to assist drivers in getting in and out for the car park.
“It is proposed that ramp access from the ground level will be controlled by a red stop signal and associated sign to discourage drivers from entering whilst another vehicle is exiting.
“Whilst a vehicle is actively travelling up or down the ramp system, the yellow warning beacons will flash discouraging other drivers from exiting the parking facility.”
The boutique tower featured sky garages when approved by a majority of councillors in August last year.
Only councillors Darren Taylor, Peter Young and Daphne McDonald voted against the officer recommendation for approval.
Sky garages would have allowed residents to sit in their lounges and admire their cars.
Jason Foote, director of Ignite Projects, later parked the idea.
The move would enable an increase in living space for the full-floor apartments, which could cost more than $4m.
Main Beach Association leader Sue Donovan said she considered the new changes as minimal with no increases in building height or footprint.
“We will have deep concerns about the adverse impacts on adjacent buildings. It’s far too close to the boundaries,” Ms Donovan said.
She said building the tower would be a challenge with the three levels of basement being “problematic” given the suburb’s water table.
PREVIOUSLY:
COUNCILLORS are not receiving “frank and fearless advice” from planners, and developers have undue influence on officers, according to an official complaint to council.
The Main Beach Association (MBA) sent a six-page email to acting council CEO Joe McCabe about the “flawed” handling of the controversial Monaco tower, and is demanding administrative reforms.
The luxurious 26-level building opposite the Southport Surf Lifesaving Club, which was to feature sky garages, was approved by councillors in August last year.
Only councillors Darren Taylor, Peter Young and Daphne McDonald opposed an officer’s recommendation to approve the code-assessable application after residents complained about shadowing and car parking, maintaining it was non-compliant with the City Plan.
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In the group’s complaint, MBA leader Sue Donovan said the association had sought independent legal advice from Anderssen Lawyers.
Legal opinion found residents in code-assessable applications — they have a short, 35-day decision period compared to impact assessable developments — could not get access to review powers in the Land and Environment Court.
Lawyers concluded that the residents’ concerns were “well founded” but council’s response was “lengthy and often confusing”.
Since the application was code assessable, the court must accept the opinion of the council “unless it can be shown to have been one that no reasonable council could have formed”.
Lawyers explained this prevented residents being able to argue that council’s decision was “unsound”. It can cost more than $100,000 for residents to lodge an appeal.
Ms Donovan said the MBA believed it would have had real prospects of success if the appeal was based on merit under an impact-assessable approval.
She described the existing town planning process as flawed, and argued that officers could prepare a detailed report which loses sight of any “big picture vision” for Main Beach.
“Councillors do not receive sufficient frank and fearless advice from their officers,” she said.
“Self-interested developers have an undue influence over the existing Gold Coast planning arrangements.”
The MBA has asked council to introduce a trigger to transfer development applications from code assessable to impact assessable when they exceed acceptable community outcomes.
Members support a community advisory group nominated by resident associations “as a means of maintaining ongoing and meaningful consultation”.
A council spokesperson told the Bulletin: “We will review the letter in due course and have no further comment to make at this time.”
EARLIER: ‘JUST A MARKETING PLOY’: TRUTH BEHIND FRESH COAST TOWER FURORE
A CHANGE in plans for the controversial luxury Monaco tower has reignited a war with Main Beach residents.
The Main Beach Association has emailed members after being notified that the developer had “parked” plans for sky garages.
A report in Friday’s Bulletin said the decision was a response to buyer feedback and would increase living space in apartments which cost more than $4 million.
MBA has circulated an update to buyers from the developer which says “every apartment is allocated 2 car spaces in the new ramped basement with the option of purchasing further spaces if required”.
MBA leader Sue Donovan told her members: “As we all thought, the market rejected the Sky Garage concept. The question now is, how are these changes being assessed by planning officers.
“We need to find out if there are any irregularities.”
Ms Donovan told the Bulletin the MBA would resume its fight against the project and had sought an update from council.
“There is no formal application made to council yet about the changes,” Ms Donovan said.
“The market didn’t want those sky garages. It was just a marketing ploy. Now there are more bedrooms.”
Ms Donovan said members had asked whether the changes which increased the density of the project were in line with the original council approval.
“The fight is not over. We have already briefed lawyers in Brisbane about the situation. People are still incensed about this,” she said.
PLANS ‘PARKED’ FOR SKY GARAGE
THE developer of luxury Main Beach tower The Monaco has ‘parked’ plans for sky garages that would have allowed residents to sit in their lounges and admire their cars.
Josh Foote, director of Ignite Projects, on Thursday said the decision was in response to buyer feedback.
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He said the move would increase the living space of the 23-level tower’s full-floor apartments, which start at more than $4 million.
“With every new project, we aim to innovate and take a fresh approach, rather than simply repeating what has been done before,” he said.
“Our car elevator to sky garage concept was the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere and, while that’s exciting, it’s not something the majority of buyers indicated they wanted.
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“The most important thing for us is to deliver a living experience that sets a new bar and, after extensive research and feedback, we made the decision to give the space that was dedicated to the sky garage back to the buyer and to simplify the basement structure.
“The new space is entirely flexible and can be custom designed as an additional bedroom, media room, library, wine cellar, study – almost anything you could think of.
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“With this additional space, The Monaco apartments all are substantially bigger than the average 285 sqm freestanding home, and the penthouse is more than double this, including an expansive private rooftop entertaining area.”
Mr Foote, who is a partner in the project with Aucklander Gary Gordon, said each apartment in The Monaco would have two car spaces in a new ramped three-level basement, with the option of buying additional spaces.
“We have adjusted pricing in-line with the redesign, with apartments
now selling from $4.35 million and with significantly lower body
corporate fees to reflect the removal of the car elevators.”
Mr Foote said the eight existing buyers in The Monaco were happy
with the proposed changes and appreciated the increase in value they
would deliver.”
The Monaco is to be built on an 898 sqm Macarthur Pde site close to
the Southport Yacht Club.
Mr Foote said the McNab group had been appointed to build The
Monaco, with a start expected mid-year for a late 2022 finish.
Originally published as New plans for Main Beach tower as sky garages dumped for basement parking
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