Duke floats new shed plan
Paint job will blend boatshed in with plants: Briscoe boss
The lawyer acting for Briscoe boss Rod Duke has revealed new plans for the Herne Bay boatshed showing how it will be a different colour to blend in with vegetation in the area.
Richard Brabant said plans for the finished shed would look quite unlike the existing structure, indicating people should not judge by what was there now. Duke hired the barrister to get the rebuilt boat shed consented and then used by helicopters.
Brabant provided a series of drawings by architect Julian Guthrie, who specialises in homes and beach houses. They showed the shed’s slipway reinstated to give access to boats from the shed to the water.
Brabant emphasised the difference between the structure people see now and the finished building.
“Here are plans of the final revised design for the boatshed. The [existing shed] bears no resemblance in terms of form or appearance including colour to the proposal that we understand the council will approve.
“The black is only temporary,” he said of the existing external colour scheme. A lighter slate grey is shown in Guthrie’s plans and that colour was deliberately chosen to ensure the structure receded visually.
“It will be the same as the one next door,” Brabant said of the neighbouring boatshed. “It will fit in or blend in with the vegetation behind.”
The former slipway, demolished when the new structure was built, would be reinstated.
“There always was going to be a slipway. But when the job stopped, they had not started the slipway,” Brabant said, referring to litigation which stopped construction work at the property.
Separately, Brabant plans to make another application in future for helicopter takeoffs and landings at the boatshed.
“One step at a time,” he said on the next phase of legal proceedings, where Duke hopes to win flight rights.
An Auckland Council spokesperson said no decision had been made on whether to issue a code compliance certificate on the boatshed.
“If the decision is not to grant the CoC, then it is likely a fresh abatement notice will be issued. If the decision is to grant the CoC, then work will be required on the boat shed and related works to bring them in line with the CoC,” the spokesperson said.
“The council will work with Mr Duke to ensure that is done in a timely fashion and if not done then again an abatement notice may be required.”