Giant Devonport retirement plans unveiled

New Zealand's biggest NZX listed retirement specialist says it plans to build a giant new village with 273 apartments as well as a 120-bed hospital between Devonport and Takapuna and the details have just become available for public comment.

Auckland Council has just notified Ryman Healthcare's plans for the former Royal New Zealand Navy Wakakura land at 7-37 Ngataringa Rd and 29 Lake Rd, on a waterfront site in the Narrow Neck/Ngataringa Bay area near Belmont.

Plans show blocks up to six levels high, with basement carparking.

Documents reveal a 120-bed hospital, 195 independent living apartments and 78 assisted living suites, as well as a parking lot for 269 vehicles.

The 195 apartments will have one, two and three bedrooms in them, plans show.

The big vacant 4.2ha site once had navy housing on it but is now owned by Ngati Whatua's Whai Rawa commercial arm and Ryman has struck a 150-year lease of the land.

"The layout of the village has been specifically designed to meet the needs of
the elderly residents. In addition, Ryman has given particular consideration in
the design of the retirement village to ensure that potential adverse
environmental effects are avoided, remedied or mitigated. The landscape plan
for the site proposes a park like setting, incorporating the use of both native and
exotic species to provide fragrance and colour throughout the different seasons
of the year," Ryman's application to the council said.

"The proposal offers an opportunity to develop a high quality, purpose built,
secure retirement village on a rare underdeveloped site within the established
residential community of Devonport and is close to existing infrastructure and
amenities. The retirement village has been designed to sit comfortably within
this neighbourhood - minimising any actual or potential adverse effects on
residential amenity values. The proposed retirement village is considered to be
appropriate for this location and will result in positive benefits for the community," Ryman said.

The project is in a residential-only neighbourhood, off the highly congested Lake Rd which runs between Takapuna and Devonport.

In 2014, one neighbour raised concern.

Petra Heemskerk said at the time that she feared an intensive development and the effects on an already clogged Lake Rd.

In 2013, she sent out a flyer to residents along Ngataringa Rd, asking if they were aware that three and four-storey apartment blocks could rise on the empty land.