Turnbull neighbours face backlash over Point Piper renovations
Malcolm Turnbull’s neighbours face a fallout on one of Sydney’s most exclusive streets after their contentious home renovations were approved.
Malcolm Turnbull’s neighbours face a fallout on one of Sydney’s most exclusive streets after their contentious home renovations were approved.
Robert and Linda Biancardi had their plans to convert their $10.35 million Longworth Ave home into three units approved at Thursday’s Woollahra Local Planning Panel.
Several of the Biancardi’s neighbours opposed the plans — although the Turnbulls were not among them.
Addressing the panel Mrs Biancardi said she wanted to emulate what the Turnbulls had done to their home.
Asked by the panel what colour she planned on painting her home, she said: “Given our relationship with Santa Barbara we were thinking something in that eggshell white.
“It was originally painted a sort of Tuscan yellow, a mustardy colour and obviously the Turnbulls across the road have painted in a sort of earthy colour as well, which is evocative of the style.
“That house too has been substantially modified over time but the overall character and essence of the house has been retained and that’s what we would like to do. But it has to be sensitive to our neighbours.”
Mrs Biancardi told the panel she and her husband, who is a director and board member of various companies, had lived in Point Piper for many years.
“We often walked past that house and I have said ‘wow I would love to live there’. It is serendipity then that we are living there.”
She said they were originally renting but then discovered the owner had a demolition certificate approved to bulldoze the interwar home and build a three storey modern complex in its place.
They bought the Spanish Mission-style mansion, which was once the home of lawyer Mitrofanis Nikolaidisthe, in 2016 for a reported $10.35 million.
She described the home as a “beautiful” but “dilapidated old lady” which they wanted to bring into the 21st century.
The $3.7 million plans are to transform the home into three units.
The basement level will be enlarged to accommodate eight cars.
There will also be a gym and bathroom in the basement.
The ground floor will be renovated to feature two one-bed units where Mrs Biancardi said their “ageing” parents would live.
The first and second floors will be turned into a single unit with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a study and open plan living, dining and kitchen area.
A number of new balconies will be built as well as a new first floor dining area above the existing ground floor balcony.
The proposal did not go down well with the their neighbours. Seven registered their objections and two sent representatives to the panel to make their views known.
Objections ranged from a loss of views and privacy to the height of the building, problems with parking and overdevelopment of the area.
Brett Daintry, representing the Biancardi’s immediate neighbours, called on the panel to refuse the proposal because of the loss of views, shadowing and excessive height.
In particular the height of the development at 13.086m contravenes the local limit of 11m.
“It shares a strong dialogue with everything in that neighbourhood,” Mrs Biancardi told the panel in an attempt to persuade them. “We have attempted in this submission to try and be sympathetic to everyone around us as much as we can whilst building a house that is comfortable for us.”
The panel was convinced and approved the plans unanimously.
The Biancardis now face a tougher challenges in winning over their neighbours.
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