Okay I think Jan O’Conner needs to get out some more or just move on…

I might as well enjoy the 5-week free subscription I get to the Herald at the moment despite; the paper only landing in my box 85% of the time and the Herald on Sunday having more ads than articles 😛

To the matter at hand though I see TV3’s The Block is coming back in July. As a side note  Rebekka might watch the show but I certainly would have no (normal) interest in it (nor other things like X-Factor (yes I can hear the lynch mob already)) and will find something else to watch if possible (if not then its reading documents that need catch up on). Although NOW I do have an interest in The Block after reading the piece from the HoS this morning as mentioned below.

What did catch my interest though was the Herald running a piece on The Block this morning. I cast a glancing eye over the piece before this particular name got my attention; “Jan O’Connor” (a Local Board member caught moonlighting over at Auckland Transport Blog during the Unitary Plan debate). Seeing that name prompted a second look at both the paper and digital copy of the article.

And look what I found:

From the Herald on Sunday:

TV houses excite locals

By Kirsty Wynn 5:30 AM Sunday Jun 9, 2013

The Block’s plan for four character homes on double site labelled ‘absolutely marvellous’

EXPAND

A development site for The Block NZ, at the corner of Lake Road and Eversleigh Road. Photo / Michael Craig

Plans for houses at the centre of the next series of TV3 renovation show The Block NZ are being hailed as a welcome answer to our crowded cities.

Four character houses have been chopped, changed and relocated to set a near-even competition for the contestants, who will fit out and furnish the houses in a bid for spot prizes and the biggest auction price.

Two large sections in Belmont, on Auckland’s North Shore, were subdivided and an ex-state house demolished to make way for the houses.

Local board member Jan O’Connor said production company Eyeworks should be commended for providing “family homes” on decent sections rather than the intensified living the Auckland Council‘s draft Unitary Plan encouraged. The controversial plan recommends multi-storey housing for many suburbs.

“It is absolutely marvellous that they have made room for another house and section without resorting to tiny sections that are anti-family,” O’Connor said.

Early on Tuesday, a villa and a bungalow were relocated to the rear of the two sites on the corner of Eversleigh and Lake Rds. Underground parking, extra levels, loft rooms and extensive decking will be added to some of the four houses.

Despite the anticipated disruption from construction and filming, locals were pleased to see character homes on the site. One, Pamela Evans, had been worried about what would happen to the large site on the corner of busy Lake Rd.

“It could have been a multi-storey development, so it is fantastic to see lovely character homes,” Evans said.

“There is a lot of work going on there and it is noisy and dusty but it is exciting as well.”

…

You can read the rest over at the Herald

But, pulling the piece from our ATB moonlighter – O’Conner:

Local board member Jan O’Connor said production company Eyeworks should be commended for providing “family homes” on decent sections rather than the intensified living the Auckland Council’s draft Unitary Plan encouraged. The controversial plan recommends multi-storey housing for many suburbs.

 

“It is absolutely marvellous that they have made room for another house and section without resorting to tiny sections that are anti-family,” O’Connor said.

Oh dear; how the heck does The Unitary Plan, The Block, petty politics all roll into one? Blasted if I knew.

But, where O’Connor gets off spreading that kind of misinformation that was constantly debunked during the Unitary Plan debates last month I would like to know.

I went checking the Unitary Plan and the Mixed Housing Zone guides (that no Councillor has still released yet (I wonder why)) and made some interesting observations.

First the location and zones where The Block Houses are:

That was using Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan GIS Map system. The two properties merged were the one I have highlighted and the two house piece on the northern end.

Looking at the Unitary Plan information though we see the following with The Block houses:

• Mixed Housing Zone
• Under pre-1944 demolition controls (the old state house in the above picture was demolished)
• Mt Victoria Volcanic view shaft

Now lets take a look at the Mixed Housing Zone guidelines here

Go to page 6 of the paper and see the Premium Standalone Houses mentioned there. This is what these four character homes are effectively from The Block.

Also I hate to say it but Jan – get a reality check here. Where The Block is located is on a Mixed Housing Zone. Meaning no more than 8 metres (two storeys) is permitted with 10 metres (three storeys) a Restricted Discretionary Activity. And despite wanting to take one of those houses to 10 metres (so I get a super large 5-6 bedroom house) I doubt I can with those overlays there. So no multi-storey developments were even possible on those The Block properties – the zoning would not allow it.

And before you harp on about 10 metres being multi-storey, your mate Guy Haddleton who is funding 2040 Auckland has a three storey house in a Single House Zone. This is also the same Haddleton that would deny me my private property right of allowing me a 10 metre high house on my land which sits in the Papakura Mixed Housing Zone. This would also be the same Haddleton that would deny me (if The Block would allow it) taking one of those houses to 10 metres on Lake Road. Your comments in the Herald reek of hypocrisy…

So in light of this and looking at what The Block is actually doing on that particular Mixed Housing Zone, if I were Council I would be PR’ing this BIG TIME. What The Block is doing is (whether by design or not) showing how one aspect of the Mixed Housing Zones work in the correct manner. Not the manner O’Connor would have you believe as what she says is not even possible under the MHZ.

I wonder if TV3 is taking entries yet (or have they done so already – yep they have – shows I don’t watch enough TV 😛 – never mind) – I might just go enter for something different (and a challenge).

TALKING AUCKLAND