Ozone apartment complex fails to materialise

Things were looking positive for the Ozone complex of 40 apartments, which Rick Martin was hoping to build in Brightside Rd, with reportedly half sold off the plans and a Special Housing Area application in place.However, behind the scenes there was difficulty in obtaining resource consent as well as spiralling building costs. In the end it was these issues, Mr Martin says, which caused him to drop the project.

He says everyone who put money down on an apartment has been fully refunded.

The 4014sqm site at 85–89 Brightside Road went back on the market and is being handled by Colliers International.

Mr Martin says that Council planners seemed to think that the site was not suitable for high density housing and indicated that any consent for the apartment complex may need to be notified to affected parties – something he was not prepared to do.

One issue was the number of car parks to be provided to each apartment.

Mr Martin said he recently applied for Special Housing Area (SHA) status, which allows developers to fast-track development with minimal notification, but this has not been approved because the site is up for sale. The new owner will need to re-apply.

Promotional material on Colliers International’s website states that if a SHA is approved, there is the opportunity to build to five levels on that site.

Mr Martin says there has been interest from potential buyers considering provision of self-storage units, a daycare centre, or residential housing.

He is currently project managing a development in Karepiro Drive, but says this will be his last.

“I’m not prepared to keep banging my head against Council’s brick wall. Consents are taking twice as long and costing twice as much as they did under Rodney District Council,” he says.