Neighbours fear losing peace, privacy and views

Meadowbank residents are aghast that a retirement village redevelopment will put a five storey apartment block and a hospital next door to them. Alice Hudson reports.
Mike Graham, his wife, Linda, their two young children and family cat, Aslan, enjoy life in quiet MacPherson St, Meadowbank. It's safe, pleasant, peaceful; everything a cul-de-sac should be.
But a two-storey hospital just 3m from his back fence, with apartment blocks up to five storeys high behind it, will most certainly change that, says Mike.
Plans drawn up for Qualcare Holdings' Meadowbank Retirement Village indicate a much bigger, better facility.
With 239 apartments - eight blocks of them - a basement car park, plus the hospital and new entrance on MacPherson St, Qualcare, owner of 22 ``senior living'' sites around the country, expects to raise Meadowbank's occupancy from less than 200 to 450.
Mike and his neighbours already can feel their slice of surburban serenity slipping away.
``MacPherson St is a quiet, child-friendly, narrow cul-de-sac. People have bought homes here because of that,'' he says, adding that the proposed buildings are totally out of character with the neighbourhood.
``There will be significant visual impact on views from all around Meadowbank, Remuera and Kepa Rd, and an increase in traffic on Meadowbank Rd.''
Mike's not happy. He and his neighbours on MacPherson St and Bonnie Brae Rd intend to fight the plans.
Representatives from Qualcare, which is 32 per cent New Zealand-owned, have held meetings with residents.
Chief executive Greg Tomlinson says architects are looking into neighbours' concerns.
``We are looking to see what we can alter in the proposal to mitigate concerns and improve the aesthetics for the neighbourhood.''
He notes there is a ``five-storey plus'' building on the site currently. The redevelopment will, however, be more intensive, he says.
A fully notified resource consent application will be made within weeks, residents were told at the well-attended meetings. Construction is expected to take 5-6 years.
Asked why the hospital needed to be built so close to existing homes, Qualcare's reply was that retirees don't like seeing one when entering the site, knowing they may end up there.
Mike says no-one in the neighbourhood wants MacPherson St opened up, or to lose their views and privacy to five-storey buildings.
``We accept they can develop the site. However, we are opposed to the sheer size and bulk of the development.''
THE PLAN Steps to creating the new look Meadowbank Village: Demolish all buildings (except three cottages) Build 239 apartments, eight blocks, 3-5 stories high Include a two-level hospital and basement car park Create a new entrance on MacPherson St