Owners seek to remove historic villa

The early 1900s house at 111 Jervois Rd in Herne Bay. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Only months after a landmark 1905 villa was removed from Jervois Rd in Herne Bay, plans have been lodged to remove a second villa a couple of blocks away.

David and Jocelyn Weatherall have applied to Auckland Council to remove a circa 1912 villa at 111 Jervois Rd, once owned by police superintendent Alfred Mitchell, who played a role in union unrest in the early 1900s.

Through the Kamari Trust, the Weatheralls have plans for a new building on the site, according to an application made on their behalf by planner David Wren.

Waitemata and Gulf councillor Mike Lee said the application placed another villa on death row, following the removal last year of the landmark villa on Jervois Rd occupied by the Erawan Thai restaurant for more than 20 years.

"Based on present rules, and at this rate, sometime in the mid- to late-21st century most of our inner-city historic quarter houses will have been destroyed," Mr Lee said.

The property is zoned residential 6b but under the proposed Unitary Plan requires consent for removal under a rule on pre-1944 houses.

Mr Wren said the proposed Unitary Plan proposes considerable change to this part of Jervois Rd with shopfronts to the street and no residential activity allowed at ground floor level.

"Overall I have concluded that removing the house from the property will have less than minor adverse visual and streetscape effects," he said in the application.

Mr Lee said the application should at least be publicly notified.

A council spokeswoman said no decisions had been made at this point.

The Herald tried to contact the Weatheralls through Mr Wren. They did not respond.