The Kaipātiki Local Board feedback on Plan Change 26

John Gillon from John Gillon - Kaipatiki Local Board

Submissions on Proposed Plan Change 26 to the Unitary Plan, regarding changes to Special Character (heritage) areas, closed on Friday. Below is the Kaipātiki Local Board feedback, prepared by myself and Danielle Grant​, under delegation from the Local Board:

The Kaipātiki Local Board objects to proposed Plan Change 26. In particular this feedback relates to:
* D18.6.1 Standards for buildings in the Special Character Areas Overlay - Residential and in the Special Character Areas Overlay – General (with a residential zoning)
* D18.6.1.1 Building Height
* D18.6.1.2 Height in relation to boundary
* D18.6.1.3 Yards.

Reasons for Objection are as follows:

1. The plan change will allow greater building heights and densities in the side and rear of character properties than currently allowed for under the Single House zone. As such, the proposed changes will have detrimental effects on the heritage character of the buildings and it is erroneous to think that the changes will achieve the aim of protecting the character of the area, in fact it will be the opposite.

2. Height to Boundary: The proposed Special Character Area Overlay rule for height in relation to boundary is more permissive than the Single House zone. It defines the envelope based on a 3m vertical height and then a 45 degree incline.
This proposed plan change therefore creates a more bulky and dramatic effect than the Single House zone, which is based on a 2.5m vertical height and then a 45 degree incline. The Special Character Area Overlay area rules should provide additional protection to the zone rather than being more permissive or lenient than a Single House zone.
The outcome of the proposed more lenient rule is that a building can be built higher with greater bulk and visual impact.

3. Rear Yard: In the rear yard, the proposal is to reduce the current 3m boundary to just 1m. This will allow building to occur only 1m from a neighbour’s boundary and will have a significant visual and privacy impact on neighbours.
Relaxing the 3m setback for the rear yard will have a highly detrimental impact in areas of Northcote Point and Birkenhead Point where sections near corner junctions have rear yards adjacent to side yards.

If the proposals go ahead then the Special Character Area Overlay will place properties at a more vulnerable position from those in the Single House zone without the overlay. These properties will be adversely impacted by increasing encroachments into side and rear yards, affecting sunshine and privacy.
The increased encroachment of development to the side and rear of houses increases the size and scale of residential homes in a Special Character Area Overlay area and as such will add visual bulk detracting from the character features of the area.
The proposed plan change will result in the original fronts of heritage houses, and therefore neighbourhoods, being unduly dominated by large rear and side developments.
Such an approach will allow a form of facadism, and dramatically reduce the protection of the character of the area.