Sandy Bay mansion plans poised to disturb historic roots

A million-dollar Sandy Bay mansion built in the 1930s is set to be demolished, with designs revealing what will be built in its place and its impact on nearby historic trees. SEE THE PLANS >>

The Fitzroy Place property at Sandy Bay which is set to be demolished. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

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DEMOLITION and rebuild plans for a million-dollar Sandy Bay mansion and its yard could have an impact on neighbouring historic trees.

A planning permit before the Hobart City Council, showing designs by Rosevear Stephenson Architects, reveals plans to knock down a four-bedroom, two-bathroom Fitzroy Place property to make way for a new two-storey house.

The Sandy Bay property. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Realestate.com.au information shows the 1930s home was sold in 2012 for $980,000 and is today valued at an estimated $1.6 million.

Included in the designs for the new house are a cellar, a lift and an indoor swimming pool.

The property sits on a street which the National Trust says has “one of the most striking tree-lined urban avenues in Tasmania”, with 45 126-year-old plane trees scaling both sides of the road.

The plans include an indoor swimming pool.

The trees are listed on the Hobart City Council’s Significant Tree Register. An arboricultural impact assessment on the property’s proposed demolition shows the planned new dwelling is located within a tree protection zone (TPZ).

It shows excavations for the proposed external wall footings would result in an encroachment to the zone by 1 per cent — a limit acceptable under rules which allow for incursions of less than 10 per cent. Demolition of the existing dwelling should be able to be done from outside the zone, the impact assessment states. The assessment recommends root pruning before excavation for the indoor pool because “it is likely that roots will extend beyond the perimeter of the TPZ”.

“Excavation for the installation of three small trees along the alignment of the Fitzroy Pl boundary fence may result in severance and damage to woody roots of trees T1 & T2, resulting in an adverse impact,” the assessment reads. It recommends trees be installed in planter boxes above ground level to avoid excavation.

A former owner of the property said they were disappointed to hear of the house’s proposed demolition.

“It’s a really solid house, you don’t get houses like that anymore, so it’s just such a shame,” they said.

“To me, it still has plenty of years living in it — it’s not an outdated house.”

The Mercury contacted Rosevear Stephenson Architects for property owner comment.