KEY POINTS:
Flattening a large century-old villa to make way for three villa lookalikes is in harmony with the character of one of Ponsonby's historic streets, says the developer behind the project.
The villa at 51 Summer St is the latest testing ground for new rules aimed at protecting the
built character of Auckland's historic neighbourhoods.
Developers Liz and Richard Mannell are seeking resource consent to demolish the wooden villa and build three townhouses resembling two-storey cottages in the narrow street. Neighbours say the new rules were drawn up to protect tired villas like 51 Summer St from the wrecking ball.
Paul Vodanovich, who lives next door to number 51, said: "Whatever they build, they are going to be 2008 houses. Instead of having a street character of restored villas, we will end up having something that looks more like a theme park."
Liz Mannell said the original plan was to restore the villa, which has been converted into five flats and sits on a large 935 sq m section, but the cost was prohibitive.
She hired heritage architect Adam Wild, of archifact, who found there was virtually nothing left of the original villa interior and it would need complete rebuilding.
In a heritage assessment report, Mr Wild said the villa was set back further from the street than most others and "does not contribute to the character values of the particular Summer St area".
Liz Mannell said great care had been taken to design three weatherboard "cottages" that were harmonious with the character of Summer St.
"We are local residents who care for the area and want to create something very sympathetic to the area," said the Herne Bay resident.
Mr Vodanovich said the style of the house was an argument for its retention, not a reason to demolish it.
"Yes, it's crappy inside, but it is habitable and probably structurally sound," he said.
Amateur historian Gerard Hill, who conducts heritage walks round Ponsonby, said developers with no concern for the community and heritage values of Ponsonby should "bugger off".
He said it was time to take a stand against the piecemeal loss of villas in Ponsonby, saying Auckland should follow the lead of cities like San Francisco and do more to protect the integrity of old heritage areas.
Images of villas in Summer St and a walk down the street by former Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard were part of a launch in 2005 for new rules aimed at preserving more than 16,000 pre-1940 homes in heritage suburbs across the city.
Meanwhile, the council has withdrawn its opposition to plans to demolish the Gables pub in Herne Bay for apartments and business use, saying it now believed the effects would be "less than minor".
City Vision councillors said locals had been badly let down by an oversized development in the heritage area.