SAY NO: Rob McCauley and fellow residents don’t want high intensity development on their street.
Plans to build high-density housing on a narrow Birkenhead street have residents up in arms.
The Catrina Avenue development is another in a series of controversial apartment and housing developments proposed for Birkenhead.
Developer Aptus Projects wants to build 20 apartments with stacked parking in a heritage area on Hinemoa St.
Opposing residents say the block would be innappropriate for the area and could cause major parking problems.
Another 36-apartment development recently approved near Highbury has caused controversy among Huka Rd residents.
Developer Dover Construction wants to put 12 townhouses with stacked parking on a small section of cleared land off the quiet Catrina Ave cul-de-sac.
But residents say the plans will cause parking problems and harm native bush.
The development proposal is ‘greedy’ and should be stopped before it ruins the street, says neighbour Rob McCauley.
“We’re concerned about traffic flow, intensity of the development, the native bush surrounding it, and we’re concerned it’s going to have a flow-on effect for the whole of Birkenhead.”
The abundance of high-density housing springing up is hurting Birkenhead, says Mr McCauley.
He wants development on his road limited to low-intensity suburban housing.
“It was our little neighbourhood. It was a lovely little area. Enough is enough. We’ve got to make a good environment for future generations. They need more space.”
Dover Construction director Hans Ottow says many of these concerns have been addressed by contractors.
Though there is no park space in the proposal, residents will have access to adjacent bush land, he says.
A traffic engineer employed by the company says the road can take the extra traffic, says Mr Ottow.
“I’m not a traffic engineer so I don’t pretend to know how they measure the space in the roads, but he’s done the analysis and he’s happy with it. “We think the houses are really well designed, they look good and are interesting.”
Credits
Photo/s by: MIKE KNOTT/North Shore Times
Reprinted with permission: Auckland Now – North Shore Times