Streetscapes Proposed Under the Draft Unitary Plan
The Character Coalition has commissioned indicative images to illustrate the general appearance of streetscapes proposed under the Draft Unitary Plan.
These have been produced by an architecture student, and while they may lack exact technical correctness at the most minute level of the plan, they are indicative of the proposed heights and mass of buildings that could be built.
Auckland Council has not been able to substantially refute the general look of these images – this is what these new zonings actually mean at the street level.
Heritage and character areas all over the city will surely be decimated if this plan goes ahead unchanged.
Terrace / Apartment Zone
This first image is indicative of how the terrace/apartment zone will affect the single house zone where these two zones adjoin. Here the terrace/apartment zone allows a height of 4 storeys (14.5m maximum), with the 3rd and 4thstoreys being subject to a setback.
This scenario is possible throughout the inner character suburbs – on many streets that run to Sandringham Rd in the Eden Park area; in Greenlane off Great South Rd; on Mt Eden Rd; in Milton Rd Mt Eden; on New North Rd in Mt Albert; on Central Rd in Kingsland; on Marsden and Kensington Avenues in Balmoral; all around Surrey Crescent in Grey Lynn; Peel St in Grey Lynn.
These are just some of the areas where this scenario will be possible.
Metropolitan Centre
The second images are before and after shots of Great South Rd, driving south into the Papakura town centre. These buildings are indicative of the mass and height that would be possible, as Papakura town centre is to be zoned as a Metropolitan Centre (maximum height 72.5m, 18 storeys).
Council planners have only quibbled about the look of the buildings, saying they would fail to meet the form and design guidelines (which will not be mandatory). So the heritage listed Selwyn Chapel, one of our oldest churches in the region could be overshadowed by high-rises, as demonstrated.
Click here to view larger images of Metropolitan Centre Streetscapes
St Heliers waterfront
The following images show the changes possible on the St Heliers waterfront. Once again, council planners may be able to argue about the exact technical details in regard to the plan, but they cannot refute that buildings of this scale and mass could be built under the Draft Unitary Plan.
The current height allowed in St Heliers is 12.5m and this has allowed two new buildings of 3 storeys to be built over the last two years. The majority of local residents think that this height and bulk is out of character with St Heliers Village and have asked for a reduction to 9.5m.
Click here to view larger images of St Helliers waterfront streetscape
