An irate couple is worried that the peace they enjoy relaxing by their backyard pool is about to be shattered thanks to a duplex with a 25-foot-high glass window being planned for next door.
Robyna Martinovic and her husband live in Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast, but their little oasis is in danger of being dwarfed by a giant maisonette to be developed next door.
The two-story maisonette on Vatakoula Parade has yet to be approved by council, and Ms Martinovic worries how those living in the new house, if approved, will be able to see directly into their home.
The plans show that the large glass wall would be built on the side of the house and in the middle of the hallway, which means that whoever lives inside the duplex will come and go past the window with a direct look at the backyard of Mrs. Martinovic.
‘How do we live in our backyard, with our pool and verandahs covered by a two and a half story wall of glass?’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Our house may be old, but we have worked hard all our lives to get to this point.’
A one-story brick house in Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast will be converted into a two-story mega-duplex, creating tension in the neighborhood.
Ms. Martinovic hired a lawyer to write a letter to the Gold Coast City Council outlining her concerns about the new development.
“The proposed building is not in keeping with the residential scale and character of the area, in terms of character and built form,” the December letter to the council said.
The letter also details concerns about the duplex that overlooks Martinovic’s home.
The couple states that the proposed guest bedroom window looks directly into their bedroom, and the proposed bathroom window looks into their existing entertainment area.
The windows where the kitchen and pantry are planned to be located are also higher than the boundary fence and overlook Martinovic’s pool and backyard, as is the large glass window in the hallway.
Image shows what the duplex in Mermaid Waters will look like if the development application is approved
“The entire length of the hallway is a hotline viewing platform,” the letter continued.
‘This will significantly diminish existing backyard amenities and devalue adjacent property due to invasion of privacy.
“The privacy of current residents and future occupants is not protected.”
The couple is also concerned about the shadow the duplex will cast on their pool and backyard.
Another problem is the boat ramp at the back of Martinovic’s house, which has been there for 46 years.
“The problem we have is where they’re going to build the deck and the pool, it’s going to be over where our boat ramp is,” Ms. Martinovic said.
She claimed the duplex was not in line with the city’s plan for a low-density area.
“I’m concerned about these developments going on and people who think the area we live in is low-density,” she said.
‘The large glass panels on the side of the duplex are there for no other purpose than to view our backyard. If it is light or air, put it in a darkened glass.
Robyna Martinovic and her husband live in a two-story house (pictured) next door to where the duplex may be built. She worries that their privacy will be ruined by the development.
On the side of the duplex plans is a seven meter glass window. Ms. Martinovic claims that the window will look directly at her backyard and pool.
The development application for the duplex was submitted in September of last year and has yet to be approved.
Plans will involve converting the existing one-story redbrick house into a two-story mega duplex.
Both units will include a pool, garage, four bedrooms including a master suite, and a balcony.
The developers, Findasite Town Planners, were asked to respond to potential issues raised by the council in November last year.
In the document, the council said the development was “bulky and overbearing” construction and did not conform to the “desired residential scale and character of the area.”
Findasite rejected this, saying “large homes and double occupancies are common within the compound”, adding that those in the area would have an opportunity to object to the proposal.
The developers also said that some of the windows that overlook neighboring properties are at a height where those inside the duplex would not be able to see.
“Fondasite does not agree that the proposed setbacks are out of character for the area,” they said.
Findasite also said that the development is “achieving an acceptable level of privacy that is anticipated within the Low Density Residential Zone.”
The owner of the development declined to comment to Daily Mail Australia.
Findasite was contacted for further comment.
A Gold Coast City Council spokesman said a decision had not yet been made on approval of the maisonette.
‘The development request is impact-assessable and is currently in the decision period. The evaluation of the application continues and a decision will be made in due course,” they said.
The planned development is also just around the corner from a maisonette under construction that has been dubbed the ‘glass castle’, and has already sparked a war between neighbors.
Another neighborhood war has broken out in the same suburb. Developers Scott Koning (right) and his wife Xumei Chi (center) faced concerns from their neighbors about their approved duplex development.
That project saw tensions reach boiling point between developer Scott Koning and neighbors Gary Hopkinson and Bijma Wati.
The couple have moved from Sydney and bought their home to retire, but now say their piece of paradise is ruined because the new development is too ‘intrusive’.
Mr. Hopkinson and Ms. Wati said they could no longer comfortably use their pool or outdoor showers as their new neighbors can look out over their backyard and also into the guest room where they expected their friends to stay. grandchildren.
Rita, the neighbor on the other side of the ‘glass monstrosity’, has stopped her daily ritual of having breakfast by the pool because of the noise of the construction.
Koning previously said he didn’t care about his neighbor’s “little emotions” and said he had been granted approval to build.
In January, Hopkinson, Koning and his wife Xumei Chi were caught up in a heated exchange outside the duplex.
Tensions have flared over the two three-story development projects being built by Scott Koning and his wife Xumei Chi at Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast City Council wrote to Koning in February to say there were “inconsistencies” with his development.
“This includes screening treatments, opening windows in places in conflict with approval and balcony balustrades,” the council said.
‘The development is not yet complete and is still under construction. The City will continue to monitor the progress of the development to ensure that the entire development complies with the approved plans and that any non-compliance is rectified.’
