Heritage row over plan to knock house in Fountain Gate Estate, Narre Warren
IT might be rundown, but this “culturally significant” 1960s house in Narre Warren is at the centre of a fight to stop it being bulldozed.
South East
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A DEVELOPER wants to knock down a house in Narre Warren’s heritage-listed Fountain Gate Estate to make way for three townhouses.
The rundown house at 7 Greenridge Ave was one of the estate’s original display homes, designed by renowned architects Daryl Jackson and Evan Walker.
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It was featured in Australian Home Beautiful in October 1967, where it was referred to as the Colonnade house.
The house has a local heritage overlay from the City of Casey but is not on the Victorian Heritage Register.
According to the Australian e-Heritage Portal, the Fountain Gate Estate is culturally significant because of its “imaginative design” by Robin Boyd and Isador Magid in the ’60s.
But cultural heritage adviser Amanda Boucher, who prepared a heritage report for the developer, said the house was “not important to preserving the heritage of Victoria or the City of Casey”.
She said this was because its design was not rare and “did not have a special association with the life or work of an important person, group, or organisation”.
Structural engineer Upul Perera, commissioned by the owner to assess the home in 2015, said the main beams supporting the roof were rotten and twisted, and the cladding was of poor quality.
“In my opinion, it is better to demolish the whole house and rebuild,” he said.
Neighbours are divided over the future of the forlorn property, with Mazz LaFrank, who has lived in the area for 35 years, calling for it to be restored and preserved.
But Guenter Rollfink, who has lived in the street for 45 years, said the house was an eyesore and he would like to see it knocked down.
Comment was sought from owner Pervaiz Azadzoi.
Residents have until July 14 to make a submission about the proposal. Architect Daryl Jackson was overseas and unavailable for comment.