Cohousing group explains point of difference

Image supplied.
Image supplied.
A group planning New Zealand's second co-housing community is unapologetic about trying to do something different in Dunedin.

Urban Cohousing Otepoti Ltd returned yesterday to address a Dunedin City Council panel which is deciding whether to grant consent for the over-density development on the old High St School site in the central city.

They appeared at the hearing to respond to concerns raised during the process, including about the height of a block of proposed houses on the High St side of the site and density, and demands from Heritage New Zealand to change their plans to protect a memorial arch on the property's High St-Alva St corner.

The group wants to build 26 architecturally designed houses in four blocks on the site and use existing school buildings as communal buildings, including dining rooms, meeting rooms and garden areas.

People wanting to own one of the houses would have to be approved by the group, contribute financially to the common areas and sign an ''organising agreement'' including communal rules.

Architect Tim Ross said the height of the buildings, especially on High St, seemed to be a concern for some, but the scale chosen was appropriate to nearby buildings, with the apex of the three-storey north-facing High St houses 3m lower than a two-storey villa at 400 High St and another at 26 Alva St.

The houses proposed for the Alva St side of the site were two-storey to let daylight on to the centre garden and also because Alva St was quieter than High St.

Having the housing in blocks also improved energy efficiency, through less loss of heat. In fact, with the super insulated walls and other measures, the houses should lose about 90% less heat than a normal home.

The group looked at breaking up the High St block of houses, but the kind of gap it would create would be good for nothing other than a place for rubbish to accumulate. They preferred instead having good sized gaps between the building blocks.

Mr Ross noted the group was keen to be allowed some flexibility in internal layout for the houses, as some people might want a three-bedroom house or a four-bedroom house, or have special requirements, but had applied for the maximum number of bedrooms sought, and sought a 10-year consent lapse period (the norm is five years), because each block would not be constructed until all or most of the units had been bought.

They believed the proposed 2.8m set-back of the block from High St would provide enough space for trees that would screen the block's facade, and left more room for bigger garden spaces in the centre of the site.

The group was not attempting to replicate what was in the rest of the area, but had always sought to build something that sat comfortably in the context of the area.

''We are trying to do something different, and something we believe Dunedin needs.''

Catherine Spencer outlined how the structure of the group would work and covered the group's concern about Heritage New Zealand's recommendation a memorial arch at the corner of the site should be become the main entrance.

While the group intended to restore and maintain the arch, it did not want the arch to become the main entrance, because it would require a site redesign and ''we don't suddenly want to make our private space public''.

''I don't want our children to run out on to High St and we don't want people to shortcut through there to the green belt.''

Proceedings threatened briefly to derail near the end, when the applicant's planner, Don Anderson, made a point of saying the applicant did not want the consent tied to them as a group, in case it could not go through with it for any reason.

Cr Kate Wilson became concerned anyone could take over the development and use it for anything, but the matter was resolved with the suggestion any consent be issued for a ''cohousing development'' and include a narrow description of what was specifically meant by ''cohousing''.

The committee will make its decision before Christmas.

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