An artist’s impression of the proposed Odyssey Residences at Beaumaris Beach.
Camera IconAn artist’s impression of the proposed Odyssey Residences at Beaumaris Beach. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Odyssey Residences lifestyle retirement village approved for Iluka

Tyler BrownJoondalup Times

A THREE-storey retirement lifestyle village has been conditionally approved in Iluka.

Odyssey Residences at Beaumaris Beach, by Brightwater Care Group and developer OP Properties, will feature 58 apartments for residents aged over 55 on land bound by Santos Vista, Fernando Parkway and Burns Beach Road.

It proposes a mix of two- and three-bedroom homes, with the entrance and lobby facing Fernando Parkway and vehicle access from Burns Beach Road, communal open spaces, a central courtyard and basement carparking.

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It also proposed a fourth storey with a gym and roof terrace, but City of Joondalup officers recommended this be removed.

At Friday’s Metro North-West Joint Development Assessment Panel meeting, planning and community development director Dale Page said the roof terrace was not compliant with the structure plan and could set a precedent for a fourth storey, with other developments still to be proposed for the remainder of the site.

ALSO READ: City of Joondalup seeks feedback on Odyssey Residences at Beaumaris Beach

She said there was also a “strong reaction from the community suggesting a fourth storey is not appropriate in this setting”.

However, MJA Studio creative director James Thompson said the roof terrace was a “very important” part of the proposal.

“It encourages interaction between the residents and helps fight against social isolation and boredom,” he said.

Joondalup councillor Philippa Taylor asked if a few apartments could be removed from the third storey to accommodate the roof terrace but Mr Thompson said this was “not commercially feasible”.

Panel deputy presiding member Sheryl Chaffer moved an amendment to only remove the gym – “the solid structure” – from the proposal, which would allow a roof terrace to remain but not create a fourth storey.

It was unanimously approved, as was another amendment to remove the requirement for clear glass balustrades on the ground floor, to allow for more privacy from the street.

At the meeting, Santos Vista resident Donna Branson also expressed concerns with the proposal of eight visitor parking bays on the “quiet suburban street”.

She said it would make the street look like a parking lot, with bays already provided on the other side of the street for visitors to those homes.

She said it would increase traffic and foot traffic and asked why the bays couldn’t be provided on Fernando Parkway where the building entrance is and where no residents would be affected.

However, Ms Page said the street was not wide enough to accommodate the bays and the required footpath.

She said the proposal for 15 visitor bays, comprising the eight on the street and the rest in the basement, met the State Government’s residential codes.

Flyt Transport Consultancy’s Claire Smith added that the development also proposed 85 residential bays , which was more than the required 79.

Cr Christine Hamilton-Prime said the development was an attractive proposal but she did see the residents’ concerns as the building was “quite in your face”.

She said it needed softening and expressed her disappointment with the lack of mature trees at the entrance.

Mr Thompson said he felt the same way but bushfire regulations prevented it.

He said this was Brightwater’s first retirement project and so they did not want “another inward-facing, gated facility”.

He said it proposed a clear and visible entry point, with a veranda meeting place, “heavily landscaped” zones and partitioned facades on the quieter residential streets to give a town house feel in keeping with the area.

Panel presiding member Karen Hyde added it was a “well conceived application” that met the requirement for housing diversity.

The proposal was approved 4-1, with Cr Taylor voting against.

ALSO READ: Plans announced for Iluka Plaza

Brightwater Care Group chief executive Jennifer Lawrence said they were “delighted” with the approval that would allow them to “move forward with the next stage of our $40 million development”.

“We look forward to the sales launch of the residences in February next year,” she said.

“Construction is expected to commence in the middle of 2019, with the first residents moving in early in 2021.”

Visit www.odysseybeaumaris.com.au.