The greenfields site at 348 St Johns Rd in Auckland, where iwi collective Marutūāhu proposes a housing scheme. This photo is taken from the application to Auckland Council.
The greenfields site at 348 St Johns Rd in Auckland, where iwi collective Marutūāhu proposes a housing scheme. This photo is taken from the application to Auckland Council.
Māori iwi collective Marutūāhu proposes a 70-home development scheme for a greenfields pony club site in Auckland’s St Johns, which Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson says has raised community concern.
Auckland Council has the application for the scheme but a spokeswoman said it had not been approved.
Simpson is encouragingpublic input on the plans.
“I am aware there is community concern around a proposed development for 348 St Johns Rd. The application is currently being processed by the council’s premium unit, resource consents.”
The application is on hold because the council had sought further information from Marutūāhu, Simpson said.
She posted a copy of a letter to local residents saying a major social housing development was being proposed.
“We don’t know if this project can be stopped but we do know that if we stay silent, it will move forward unchallenged,” the letter said.
Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson. Photo / RNZ, Nick Monro
“The area around St Johns Rd, Kohimarama Rd already suffers from heavy traffic, especially during peak hours. The proposed density, along with insufficient on-site parking, could [cause] worse congestion on surrounding streets,” it said.
Marutūāhu Rōpū Limited Partnership wants to build on the site. Marutūāhu is a confederation of Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Pāoa and Te Patukirikiri.
Plans for new homes, St Johns Rd, Auckland. The Marutūāhu Rōpū Limited Partnership has applied to build 70 new homes at 348 St Johns Rd. Photo / application document
The assessment of environmental effects written by Jethro Joffe of Baseplan said a 70-home scheme and a staged fee simple subdivision was proposed for 348 St Johns Road.
Consent is sought for 32 detached houses, a 38-unit apartment block, protection of the existing significant ecological area via a covenant, new planting and associated new roading, access and servicing.
Concurrent subdivision around the land-use components of the application includes providing for stages via four superlots and overall 32 residential allotments for detached housing, one allotment for an apartment typology, two jointly owned access lots, an allotment for local purpose drainage reserve and a covenanted allotment to incorporate protected and new planted, regenerating native bush.
Plans for new homes at 348 St Johns Rd, Auckland by the Marutūāhu Rōpū Limited Partnership. Photo / application to Auckland Council
The site is 2.3ha, has no buildings and a single public road frontage.
It is in pasture and used for grazing horses by the Meadowbank Pony Club.
“There are panoramic views from the St Johns Road frontage of the site across the land towards the Auckland CBD, with [the] SkyTower showing prominently; these views of the cityscape do not dissipate lower on the site topography and continue to provide expansive outlook toward the west and southwest,” the application said.
The scheme includes two shared driveways, one public road and a stormwater reserve.
The aim is to introduce “an attractive and high-quality residential living product to the market which includes a mix of larger family homes and low-rise apartment living”, the application said.
Across town at Ōwairaka, Mt Albert, Marutūāhu and developer Ockham Residential have almost finished a new scheme.
The first apartment buildings at the new multibillion-dollar Maungārongo village are nearing completion.
That is part of a wider scheme to build about 40 new apartment blocks with 3000 units in the next two decades.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
