Concrete solution to unneighbourly development

By BERNARD ORSMAN

A Grey Lynn man has built an 8m- high concrete wall at a cost of $60,000 to protect his family's privacy from a block of six apartments next door to their renovated villa.

Jerome Box took the drastic step after developer Larry Eade and the Auckland City Council ignored the family's concerns about noise and visual privacy on their open-plan living and entertaining area at the back of their house.

The young family were also unimpressed at a developer coming from outside the area and putting up apartments out of character with the West Lynn shops in Richmond Rd.

"It totally goes against the feel of this little village," says Mr Box's wife, Adelle.

The wall does not bother the couple because it is on their southern boundary.

However, it does block the development's north-facing views. The wall is 8m high on Mr Box's side and 6m, or two storeys high, on the building site next door.

On Mr Box's Richmond Rd property the wall has been plastered, painted and includes an outdoor fireplace and lighting.

Mr Box, a building contractor, said he gave instructions to the blockies "to do the worst job they have ever done" on the other side.

They obliged by leaving blocks exposed with dripping and uneven concrete.

Jerome and Adelle Box said they started off trying to be reasonable with the developer when they saw plans for the development that included decks and living spaces looking directly into their home.

But Mr Box said they met a "we-don't-give-a-toss attitude" and the council, after initially being helpful, "completely washed their hands of us in favour of someone I regard as a tacky developer".

The council rejected a report from an acoustic engineer which said the development did not comply with noise restrictions and approved the project last July.

A report by council noise engineer Jacqueline McDougall said the noise impact would be "minor" and the acoustic consultant's report provided no readings to support claims of excessive residential and vehicle noise from the apartments.

Faced with taking the matter to the Environment Court or losing about $150,000 off the value of his property, Mr Box came up with a "concrete solution".

He discovered that being on the boundary with a commercial property entitled him to put up an 8m wall. Plans were quickly drawn up, approved by the council and the wall went up in three weeks last September.

Mr Box said Mr Eade's response to the wall was "the most priceless moment I have ever seen".

He swore and put a "hex" on Mr Box and his baby daughter, Briana.

"He said, 'How high will you go?' and I said, 'How high do you want me to go?' " Mr Box said.

Reinforcing steel has been left poking out of the top of the wall up to 8m - "points of negotiation should they start to give us more grief", said Mr Box.

Since July, Mr Eade has sold the site to another developer, Chris Hook, who changed the design of the apartments and started construction.

Mr Hook said: "I believe it was done with malice, not against me personally but against whoever was going to do a development there."

The wall would not block out the views of the apartments, which were between two and four storeys high, but it did not need to be as high as it was, he said.

Mr Eade said last night that he and his associates had initiated all discussions with Mr Box. The wall was the result of a breakdown in negotiations.

"I found it really disturbing for someone to claim they care about Grey Lynn and then do that [put up the wall]," Mr Eade said.

He could not recall swearing at Mr Box and putting a "hex" on him and baby Briana.