In the first article of this series Kari Stephens reported on fighting for density on a small site. She has also addressed the challenges of dealing with neighbours and negotiating access to infrastructure via their property and in this article, she discusses the amenity challenges of when new meets old.
Overview
My client is seeking Council approval to build three townhouses on a 531m2 corner allotment. The site is zoned Medium Density Residential, it is currently used for a single house, and it is located in an older residential area close to the CBD and public transport.
This article deals with the amenity challenges for neighbours, in areas undergoing gentrification.
In layman’s terms, gentrification is the transition of an area from old to new, which often results in an increase in socio-economic status. Understandably, this can be challenging, especially for the first few development sites which make the transition to new, when everything else is a 1960 beach shack.
As a town planner, I encourage my clients to respect the amenity of neighbouring dwellings (love thy neighbour), whilst keeping in mind that those same dwellings will soon become subject to their own redevelopment, be it 12 months or 12 years from now.
Loving thy neighbour can be challenging, especially in situations where that neighbour is being ‘difficult’ (read Part I where the neighbour refused to accommodate necessary sewer infrastructure). But regardless of individual difficulties (and sometimes personal vendettas) the overall amenity and streetscape harmony is more important.
Zero Side Setbacks for Garages
Can you build a garage right on the boundary when there’s an existing dwelling next door? Yes, the Building Code of Australia allows it … however, this is often a significant change to the built form in older residential areas (where houses are usually at least 2m from the side boundary).
In my client’s case, the original proposal to build garages directly on the side boundary was discouraged by Council. Yes, we could have pushed for the built-to-boundary outcome, but my client decided that a softer urban design outcome could be achieved by setting the garages into a more traditional setback scenario. Instead of a building wall on the common boundary, the amended proposal has a 1.5m setback, with a pathway to the rear of the property, landscaping and a 1.8m high fence.
Side Fences & Retaining Wall
Speaking of fences, this in itself presented another potential neighbour-amenity problem.
My client’s site is in a “drainage deficient area” requiring the finished floor level (FFL) to be 1.3m above the existing ground level. Filling and retaining the site would have created a 1.3m retaining wall on the common boundary. Add a 1.8m high fence on top of that (for privacy on the town house site), and the neighbour faces a 3.1m high combination wall/fence on the boundary. While this is a temporary outcome, because once the adjoining sites are redeveloped (and filled) the first 1.3m of the wall disappears under the fill, however in the short term, a 3m+ wall can be daunting for neighbours.
By way of a solution, the development site will not be filled. Instead, the building will be built on posts, with a floor created by joists and bearers (rather than fill and a slab on ground). The upside is that it is a far less expensive construction budget and provides a reasonable fence outcome for the neighbours. The downside is a disconnection between indoor and outdoor living spaces for the townhouses, due to the significant height difference between ground level and FFL.
Front Setbacks and Corner Sites
The other amenity concern (more so for Council than the neighbour this time) is the front setback. On corner allotments, it is common for Council to accept one of the streets as the ‘main’ frontage and the other street as the ‘secondary’ frontage, often with a reduced setback. Council also relies on the setbacks which are already established in the area. In this case, a house on the other side of the road had a setback of 2m. Some older style units located on the side street, had a setback of 4m. We used this information to establish an existing streetscape character, and as a result, we were able to successfully argue lesser setbacks on both the primary and secondary streets.
Creating successful urban design and good-neighbour outcomes, depends on a design that balances the existing with the future development. Privacy and amenity are important considerations, not just for the existing neighbours, but for the residents of the new development.
Infill development can be challenging, because you need to shoehorn something new and shiny into a neighbourhood that is often old and tired, yet filled with people who have been proud residents for decades.
My next article deals with the problems and solutions my client encountered when dealing with on and off-site infrastructure, particularly when the records you rely on, aren’t correct.
Contact Project Urban on 07 5443 2844 for more information about the development applications process and our services.