By BERNARD ORSMAN
The chairman of the Hobson Bay Community Board is embroiled in a neighbourhood row over plans to develop his $1 million Remuera property.
Troy Churton wants to subdivide his Remuera Rd property into three sections, involving the removal of a Californian bungalow and the loss of 13 protected trees.
Neighbours are worried that more houses will add to flooding problems in the area and shade their homes.
Furthermore, Allen Kehoe, whose Ngapuhi Rd home backs on to Mr Churton's property, said in a submission there was no argument to "bend the rules" for the sake of intensification.
Mr Churton yesterday accused neighbours of "sticking their noses in to obfuscate the process" after a history of run-ins over fencing and other issues.
"Here they are with their feet up on the sofa on their own cross-leased properties telling me what I can and can't do," he said.
Sadly for Mr Churton, his section is 20sq m short of zoning requirements to subdivide into three 500sq m sections. That led to the plan being publicly notified.
The application attracted 18 objections from locals and just two letters of support - one from Mr Churton's wife, Janet Horrell, and the other from the Scrumptious Fruit Company and signed by the sole director, Troy Churton.
The community board chairman also has the backing of an Auckland City Council planner, Dylan Pope, who has reviewed the application and says the effects on the environment are minor.
Independent planning commissioner Marlene Oliver will hear the application today.
The application comes amid anger at the ease in which the council is approving developments against the wishes of communities.
Grey Lynn residents have rallied to oppose the construction of two high-rise apartments in their suburb of Edwardian villas and bungalows; two councillors and a community board member have approved a Sandringham housing development that breached 10 sections of the district plan; and a petition has started to oppose a 16-storey apartment block on the Auckland waterfront.
