City council staff have met with the developer of the units being built next door to Kim Mehlhopt's home of 15 years.Photo / Martin Hunter, Christchurch Star
City council staff have met with the developer of the units being built next door to Kim Mehlhopt's home of 15 years.Photo / Martin Hunter, Christchurch Star
Moving a Christchurch woman's house after five two-storey townhouses started being built next door is one of the options suggested to make her home more liveable.
In an email to Bolton Ave homeowner Kim Mehlhopt, Christchurch City Council head of resource consents John Higgins said one option could be to "re-site" the house on her property as part of her EQC repairs, reports Star.kiwi.
Her home may need to be lifted and a new foundation put down as part of those repairs.
The townhouse being built right next door to Kim Mehlhopt. Photo / Martin HUnter/ Christchurch Star
"They expect, hey, just move your house," Ms Mehlhopt said.
In September, The Christchurch Star revealed JSJ Investments was building townhouses next door to Ms Mehlhopt's home of 15 years - the garage less than a metre away.
She said the development will devalue her home, cost her privacy, and the street's family-oriented appeal. But under the District Plan, zoning for the development is compliant.
The city council has met with JSJ Investments director Nick Johnston to discuss how the development could be altered to make it better for Ms Mehlhopt.
"As the development in question is consented and largely constructed, there is little that can be easily changed, or the council can require be changed, in terms of the built form of that development," a city council spokeswoman said.
In an email to Ms Mehlhopt, Mr Higgins said the developer had agreed to pay for a boundary fence. But he said access to Ms Mehlhopt's property would need to be granted and her backyard garden shed would need to be removed to build the fence.
A new boundary fence is one option suggested to mitigate the effects of two-storey townhouses being built next door to Kim Mehlhopt's home. Photo / Martin Hunter, Christchurch Star
"How can they grant non-notifiable consent when we have to do things on your neighbour's property?" Ms Mehlhopt said.
"At this point, I continue to allow no access to my property."
Mr Higgins said in the email the city council had also discussed compensation or a possible buyout with the developer.
But the email said the developer did not feel the need to pay compensation because the development was complaint, and he wanted to see how the units sold before offering to buy her out.
Ms Mehlhopt said she kept being told little could be done because the development was too advanced. She contacted a lawyer this week.
"There's no benefit to me at this point."
The discussions came after city council staff, Wigram MP Megan Woods and city councillor Phil Clearwater visited Ms Mehlhopt to discuss her concerns following stories in the Star.
The issue has been referred to the District Plan team to consider any future changes to it.
