‘Rusty eyesore’ for Flagstaff residents
A shipping container which has been deemed art is anything but for residents that have to look at it daily.
In fact they say it’s a “rusty eyesore.” The shipping container sits on Petersburg Dr section which is subject to a consent dispute and in a recent decision the Environment Court agreed with its owner’s claim that it is artistic expression.
Dave Yzendoorn who owns the Flagstaff section successfully fought off a council abatement notice to get the container moved after the Environment Court ruled that “even though it may retain the look of a shipping container, it can no longer be considered as such”.
Yzendoorn wanted to build a duplex on the site but was had a resource consent application rebuffed after the land was rezoned from residential status to natural open spaces. He placed a container on the section and claimed it was an art piece.
When the Waikato Times visited on Sunday one nearby couple said while others see the ‘artwork’ from the road, they look at it from behind.
“It’s a rusty old container. We think it’s an absolute eye sore. From the back end it says Cosco.”
It sits in a prominent position viewed from their property and they would love to see it gone.
“It depends what art is, some art you wonder, but he’s (Yzendoorn) just thumbing his nose at everyone.” The couple have lived in the area for 12 years and haven’t seen anything like it.
“When it (the section) was vacant and kept tidy the kids going to and from school used to use it as a stop gap and sit there and have a chat, it was quite nice to see them all out there.“
But the kids no longer stop there now. Another couple who look down on it daily from their patio saw it as a “silent protest.” They say Yzendoorn bought the land in 2017 after it was zoned a natural open space in 2012.
“He doesn’t want to build a tiny house. He wants a three storey place, and he has to drill into the river floodplain. He’s not trying to do art, it’s just his protest at the council.” They do acknowledge there was some attempt at art for a while.
“He had a white vinyl couch on the side of it and the kids in the neighbourhood were pushing it down the bank, they put it on top of the container. They were having quite a bit of fun.
“It’s not art it’s just a protest and he’s done that, the council has heard you, everyone has heard you.”
“I won’t comment on the art as I’ve been to many art galleries and gone ‘how did that get in there’. Art is in the eye of the beholder.”
A resident’s property who is also near to the container said it should be taken away.
“It’s an absolute eyesore.”
She laughed when asked if she thought it was art.
“Art my backside.”