The view from Emily’s kitchen. They have planted two eucalypts and a sheoak to try to regain the privacy they lost when a 10-unit block was built next door. “Not the type to make a fuss”, Emily JJ wants others to learn from her experience of losing her privacy to a neighbouring develoipment.
By Emily JJ
THE day my partner and I moved into our first home in Cape Woolamai nearly two years ago was a truly exciting experience. Unpacking boxes, moving furniture, hanging artwork and putting nails in the walls, without having to worry about the "bond" felt liberating.
We had the freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted, with only two next-door neighbours and a vacant block opposite our house.
This block stayed vacant for a period of time, then up went the little pink A4 notice. Ten apartments were going to be built overlooking the town ... and our house. We went to the council office in Cowes to inquire about the property. We wanted to ensure that we would still maintain our privacy in our new home.
We looked the plans up and down and noticed six windows on the upper storey facing the south side, our side. The obliging woman behind the desk gave my partner a number to call in regards to the building plans. He spoke to a man who assured him that the base of the windows would be 1.7 metres high and therefore could not look directly into our property.
Now, looking back at this scenario, I wonder why, oh why, we took this stranger’s word for it. Why did we not take a name, a number or any information in relation to this phone call? Big mistake.
After the phone call, we asked the council to contacted us and requested that trees be planted along the fence line to eliminate views directly into our house from the bottom floor of the apartments. This time I spoke to a man who told me that the council would plant banksias across our nature strip within two weeks.
Two months passed and clearly this had been put at the bottom of the council’s to-do pile so we planted the trees ourselves.
As the apartments were being built, we slowly got that sinking feeling. The base of those windows weren’t 1.7 metres high. They looked directly into our back yard, loungeroom, kitchen and outdoor dining area. Who had we spoken to? Why did we trust the stranger on the phone?
It’s been unsettling to have workers able to see straight into our house during the past months. We have to close the bllinds to allow for any sort of privacy. If the blind has accidentally been left up from the night before, running to the toilet in undies has turned into an army crawl behind the couch.
For the past eight months, we have felt as though we have been in a fishbowl or on the Truman show.
I am not writing this now in the hope for a change to our circumstances or that the council will miraculously step into action. I have already lost faith in the council. That ship has sailed.
What I want is to warn others. If this is happening to you, do yourselves a favour. Put in the time to do thorough research into the plans and record all relevant information. Don't stand by just because you want to keep the peace.
We have no harsh judgements about the person building these apartments. He was given permission by building surveyors, abided by building guidelines and was also permitted by the council to erect these 10 compacted apartments that aren't too easy on the eye.
What we don't understand, is how we could be so misled by a council officer who gave us incorrect information that temporarily put our minds at ease.
We feel disrespected and completely disregarded in the planning of this apartment complex.
We are not the complaining type. We are the sort of people who pull the hair out of a burger and make a joke about it, eat the burger and don’t demand another. Making a fuss is not our thing. However, it seems that if we had complained or stepped in earlier, rather than just standing idly by, we might have kept our privacy, something that I believe every household deserves.
We are now considering renting our house out, hoping that whoever moves in enjoys being watched by six different families through large glass windows that are (luckily) over nine metres away as it abides by Victoria’s "strict" building codes.
THE day my partner and I moved into our first home in Cape Woolamai nearly two years ago was a truly exciting experience. Unpacking boxes, moving furniture, hanging artwork and putting nails in the walls, without having to worry about the "bond" felt liberating.
We had the freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted, with only two next-door neighbours and a vacant block opposite our house.
This block stayed vacant for a period of time, then up went the little pink A4 notice. Ten apartments were going to be built overlooking the town ... and our house. We went to the council office in Cowes to inquire about the property. We wanted to ensure that we would still maintain our privacy in our new home.
We looked the plans up and down and noticed six windows on the upper storey facing the south side, our side. The obliging woman behind the desk gave my partner a number to call in regards to the building plans. He spoke to a man who assured him that the base of the windows would be 1.7 metres high and therefore could not look directly into our property.
Now, looking back at this scenario, I wonder why, oh why, we took this stranger’s word for it. Why did we not take a name, a number or any information in relation to this phone call? Big mistake.
After the phone call, we asked the council to contacted us and requested that trees be planted along the fence line to eliminate views directly into our house from the bottom floor of the apartments. This time I spoke to a man who told me that the council would plant banksias across our nature strip within two weeks.
Two months passed and clearly this had been put at the bottom of the council’s to-do pile so we planted the trees ourselves.
As the apartments were being built, we slowly got that sinking feeling. The base of those windows weren’t 1.7 metres high. They looked directly into our back yard, loungeroom, kitchen and outdoor dining area. Who had we spoken to? Why did we trust the stranger on the phone?
It’s been unsettling to have workers able to see straight into our house during the past months. We have to close the bllinds to allow for any sort of privacy. If the blind has accidentally been left up from the night before, running to the toilet in undies has turned into an army crawl behind the couch.
For the past eight months, we have felt as though we have been in a fishbowl or on the Truman show.
I am not writing this now in the hope for a change to our circumstances or that the council will miraculously step into action. I have already lost faith in the council. That ship has sailed.
What I want is to warn others. If this is happening to you, do yourselves a favour. Put in the time to do thorough research into the plans and record all relevant information. Don't stand by just because you want to keep the peace.
We have no harsh judgements about the person building these apartments. He was given permission by building surveyors, abided by building guidelines and was also permitted by the council to erect these 10 compacted apartments that aren't too easy on the eye.
What we don't understand, is how we could be so misled by a council officer who gave us incorrect information that temporarily put our minds at ease.
We feel disrespected and completely disregarded in the planning of this apartment complex.
We are not the complaining type. We are the sort of people who pull the hair out of a burger and make a joke about it, eat the burger and don’t demand another. Making a fuss is not our thing. However, it seems that if we had complained or stepped in earlier, rather than just standing idly by, we might have kept our privacy, something that I believe every household deserves.
We are now considering renting our house out, hoping that whoever moves in enjoys being watched by six different families through large glass windows that are (luckily) over nine metres away as it abides by Victoria’s "strict" building codes.