A Growing Obsession
By: Sven Kraumanis - owner/operator Legacy Vintage Building Materials & Antiques
The Best Laid Plans
Most readers of this tome are no strangers to renovation. Often it’s the price we have to pay to earn a place in established neighbourhoods, with their old houses and proven, time-tested environments. After years of painstaking renovations to our century home and backyard studio the exterior facelifts were scheduled for 2006. But hold on…over the last four years three condominium projects have sprung up on our property lines as developer’s infilling of our town continues –at the expense of historic vistas and greenery so long taken for-granted
Whither Neighbourliness
Prior to selling us our home its vendors severed the sprawling westerly garden and notwithstanding statements to the contrary, optioned the land to a developer. A cozy committee of adjustment ruling provided the developer with a variance that grew his planned duplex into a four-plex. Collateral damage comprised a side-yard encroachment, the loss of windbreak, shade and boulevard trees and ultimately, a total default on the installation of a compensatory privacy hedge. On our northern boundary the same developer cut down more hundred-year old boulevard trees, erected a five-plex and sold the remainder of the acreage where our kids used to fly their kites, to another developer. The new fellow did little to tarnish his profession’s predominant virtue of frugality. His promise of lavish boundary landscaping again failed to materialize- even after the six new units sold out.
From Bad to Worse
| Enough! When “old boy” ties influence zoning and easy money vitiates neighbourliness it is time to act…so up went our fence! Not just any fence but one constructed of sturdy granary boards up to 20”wide and as tall as the law would countenance. Wrought iron preserved our property’s dignity on the street side and also permitted ventilation, vistas and a soapbox for our dogs. Don’t even ask if our eleven new neighbours were asked to help share in the cost. |
1a
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1b
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The fence was weathering in beautifully but the end result was predictable. What had for a century and a half been a significant estate now had its grounds reduced to what our even our pets agreed was an extravagant dog run. (See #1a-1b).
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