Mayfair construction to start ‘soon’

Mayfair construction to start ‘soon’

Will the Mayfair apartment development finally go ahead?  Jane O’Loughlin reports.

Construction on the controversial Mayfair apartment building for Westbourne Grove in Mt Victoria will start ‘soon’ according to the developer, now that the proposal has been granted resource consent.

In February, Hearings Commissioner Alistair Aburn granted land use consent for a seven-storey multi-unit development of 32 residential units, 29 carparks, 25 cycle parks and associated earthworks.  He also granted subdivision consent for 32 unit titles.

The project was opposed by owners and residents of the four properties living along the narrow Westbourne Grove accessway.

The proposal is the first project to take advantage of the Wellington District Plan changes which allow six-storey buildings to be built in inner-city suburbs.

The site, off Austin Street, was previously a ‘character area’ which meant restrictions on the removal of pre 1930s age houses, and limits on building height to around two storeys.

The new building would be an “exemplary project for Wellington and the new District Plan,” said Mark Quinn, director of Forma Group.

“We’re going above and beyond our requirements for this development, because we want to demonstrate that the District Plan can be implemented responsibly as Wellington grows. The Mayfair development will show what can be achieved through sensitive design that reflects the environment.”

More than 40 percent of the apartments had already been sold or under contract, Quinn said. Construction would commence soon and is due to be completed in early 2028. 

Although the hearings commissioner deemed the environmental impacts of the development acceptable within the limits of the District Plan or manageable with controls, nearby residents will likely be affected by noise, vibration, and increased traffic during construction. More than 5000 cubic metres of earth will be removed to create the foundations.

The commissioner imposed a long list of conditions on the consent, including requirements for geotechnical investigations looking at ground water location and slope stability, and controls on noise, vibrations, dust, transport, and construction hours.

The main issue of contention in the hearing was the safety of residents using Westbourne Grove, and whether a shared path or a wider footpath was the best solution.

The commissioner decided that either a shared path or footpath solution could be used but that detailed design must be checked with the council.

Aburn also asked that a Westbourne Grove Residents’ Liaison Group be established prior to work commencing.

In response to concerns about subsidence, the commissioner ordered surveys of neighbouring properties to be undertaken before and after the construction work, to monitor the impact of earthworks and vibration.

The commissioner said the dispute over the rights of the joint owners of Westbourne Grove to make changes to the driveway was an issue to be resolved separately as it related to property law, not the RMA.

Residents involved in the process had 15 working days to decide if they would appeal the decision.

"Plenty of things get resource consent and never get built, said Ralph Highnam. “After two years, there is still no sign of a safe and effective driveway to deal with the excess traffic from this proposed development, and the safety of our children and other pedestrians is a major concern."