Thinking about building a garage? A Design Guide

Transcription

1 Thinking about building a garage? A Design Guide Urban Design and Heritage Team Christchurch City Council May 2003

2 This guide was prepared jointly by the Urban Design & Heritage Team and Environmental Services Unit, in conjunction with the Area Development Team. For further information and advice please contact: Customer Centre, Environmental Services Unit, Christchurch City Council. Phone: Linwood Service Centre, 180 Smith Street, Linwood. Phone: Sockburn Service Centre, 149 Main South Road, Sockburn. Phone:

3 THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A GARAGE? Things to consider and design alternatives Christchurch is known as the Garden City. This image is largely created by the street view (or street scene) in residential and business areas. The view is one of grass berms, trees, gardens and lawns in front of the houses. Most houses are well set back from the front boundary of their section giving a spacious quality to residential areas. A typical Christchurch streetscene A key objective of the Christchurch City Plan is to encourage residents to enhance the Garden City image. Retaining existing vegetation and thoughtfully planting more vegetation are simple ways to achieve this objective, particularly in lower density residential suburban areas (known as Living 1 and 2 zones), where there is more space in front gardens. All Living 1 and 2 zones have a requirement for buildings, including garages, to be set back at least 4.5m. In some areas, known as Special Amenity Areas (SAMs), there are extra requirements that recognise that an area has a special character that is worth retaining. Examples of these requirements include: a greater building setback, an external appearance rule and a larger outdoor living area. You will need to check the City Plan, or ask a Council Planner, to see if you are located in an area with any special requirements, which may be more restrictive. REQUIRED SETBACK 1

4 THINGS TO CONSIDER 1. Using your side yard or back yard Consider using your side yard or back yard as a first option. Is there space behind your property? Is there space at the side of the property? Consider whether a single garage or carport is more easily accommodated on your site and would be sufficient for your needs. Alternatively a tandem garage (one car behind the other) can provide you with the parking space you require without the problem of accommodating the width of a double garage on a narrow section. 2. Think trees 2 Protected trees Check with the Council whether there are any protected trees affected by the garage proposal, either on your property, or adjacent properties. Resource Consent will be required for the removal of any protected tree. In the case of heritage and notable trees, which are listed in the City Plan, pruning of the trees or any construction work within 10 metres of the trees also requires Resource Consent.

5 Street trees When you are positioning your garage you need to assess whether any street trees will be affected by the construction of your driveway. If there is a street tree in front of your property try to position the garage so that the driveway crossing is clear of the tree. If a street tree is obstructing or is close to your proposed driveway, advise the Council prior to lodging your plan. You will need to show the position of the tree on your building plans. Any proposal to remove a street tree requires an application to be made to the Council. If consent is given to remove a street tree it will be conditional upon the owner paying the full costs of removing the tree and planting a replacement. 3. Vehicle manoeuvring requirements A single garage has minimum internal dimensions of 3.1m wide by 5.5m deep. A double garage has minimum internal dimensions of 5.6m wide by 5.5m deep. Wall thickness will be around mm, depending upon the construction materials. If your house is on a main road (major or minor arterial) you have to be able to turn your car onsite, so that you do not need to reverse out onto the road. If your garage doors are facing the street the garage will need to be set back at least 5.5m. If your cars are parked in tandem (one behind the other), you will need to have manoeuvring space on site so that the second car doesn t have to reverse out onto the road to let the first one out. 3

6 IF BUILDING A GARAGE IN THE FRONT YARD IS YOUR ONLY OPTION If you have considered all the alternatives and you feel a garage in the front yard is your only option. There are further considerations to take into account. The City Plan rules have become more strict because the Council does not want to end up with the street scene being dominated by garages/buildings, rather than the Garden City image of grass berms, trees, gardens and lawns in front of the houses. The Council will look at each case/application on its merits. In Living 1 and 2 zones a 4.5m setback is required if the garage is side on to the street. A 5.5m setback will be required where the garage door is facing the street. Special Amenity Areas (SAMs) are likely to require a greater setback distance. If you want to build within the setback you will need a Resource Consent. This will only be granted if the City Council is satisfied that your proposal won t detract from the street scene. Garages clearly visible to the street tend to have a detrimental effect because of their box like shape, their blank walls and prominent doors. Therefore, building within the setback should only be contemplated if you have no other option. What landscaping and/or screening will be required? Trees, shrubs and fencing. You have to make a special case to locate a garage in the street scene setback. This is known as a limited discretionary activity. This gives the Council the opportunity to decline the garage in the front yard if it does not meet the assessment matters outlined in the City Plan. When the Council is assessing your Resource Consent application they will look at the following aspects of your proposal: 1. Whether there appear to be other options for placing your garage on your property (e.g. back yard, side yard) and you will be asked why you feel they are not suitable. 2. What the view is like along your street. If there is a lot of planting making the garage appear less noticeable then a garage may be acceptable in the front yard. But if the street is open and spacious around you, then a garage might spoil the view. You will need to think about the following matters: How big? Will a single garage be adequate or perhaps a large single, allowing space for a car and storage. Where to put the garage? This is a very important consideration. It will need to work practically for you, but you will also need to consider the likely impact on your property, the outlook, the privacy of your neighbours and the visual effect on the street scene. What materials? Brick, timber, corrugated iron, concrete block - what works best with your house. 4

7 3. The location of your garage. The garage should not be placed so that it obscures the front of your house or stands out when looking along the street. 4. How the garage fits in with your house The Council will assess whether the design of the garage fits in with the house and the street scene and whether the materials will ensure that the garage blends in with its surroundings and does not stand out. Where a garage or a carport is at a different angle, different setback or of a different appearance to the house, it will look uncomfortable and give a cluttered appearance to the front yard. When your property is a corner site, a garage should not be placed on the corner as it will be highly prominent from both streets. Sometimes the materials will need to be the same as the house, or they may be chosen to blend in with existing fences and planting. The garage can be designed in a similar style to the house. Similarity in roof pitch and matching materials 5

8 The angle of the roof slope may look better if it is similar to the house, or a flat roof might be appropriate to minimise the bulk of the garage. Windows can help to break up a blank wall. and soften the effect of a highly visible solid structure. Equally planting trees and shrubs and lawn along the whole of the space between the footpath and your garage provides a better, more continuous and attractive landscaped area. There will need to be enough space between the side and back of the garage to accommodate any necessary planting. A double garage door can present a very blank façade when viewed from the street. Think about ways in which the door design can be made more visually interesting while keeping within the style of the house. For example use windows, smaller scale panels and changes in materials or colour. 1M 5. Whether there is the opportunity to screen your garage with trees and shrubs There are a number of requirements that your proposal must meet. Trees should be a minimum of 1.2m in height when planted so that they can immediately provide a screen and/or soften the impact of the building outlines. MINIMUM DISTANCE 2M One large tree at least should be planted for each 10m length of road frontage, or part thereof. This can help break up the bulk of the garage, drawing attention away from it and reducing its scale. An increase in the amount of paved area (driveway) is a common adverse effect of a garage located in the front yard. Planting around the garage and driveway edges can visually diminish the amount of paved area 6

9 Your proposal will also need to meet requirements for vehicle parking and manoeuvring, however, the amount of paved surface should be kept to a minimum. This is to ensure that there is plenty of space for planting and that rain water can soak into the ground naturally rather than running into drains. If you don t use your driveway or turning area constantly, you may like to consider using a material like gobi block, where the hard surface is hidden under grass. Plants and/or fencing have a major impact on how your property and your new garage looks. Typical garage in front yard landscaping plans are available from the planners at your Service Centre or the Civic Offices. Also have a look at the Council s brochure Thinking about Fencing What works best: In your area there may be a wide variety of plants or perhaps a native theme. Take cues from the planting in your neighbours property if you think it looks good and achieves the intention. Continuity of planting - plant themes are taken from adjacent properties Keep to a simple theme. Think in three levels - tall plant e.g. tree, middle storey such as Hebes/Camellias, and understorey such as groundcovers. Minimise the variety of plants. One specimen tree with underplanting of the same massed species e.g. Agapanthus, can enhance the site through their simplicity, and colour when in flower. Elevation Minimise the view of sealed area. Create borders of planting, including immediately adjacent to your house. Things to avoid: Avoid plants which need constant maintenance and can outgrow the narrow width between the street and the garage and/or damage the garage foundation, e.g. large flax species, and/ or plants which may have lateral rather than tap root systems roots, which can damage your building eg silver birch, silk tree. These can be planted on the road frontage but not immediately next to the garage. Plan View 7

10 APPLYING FOR A RESOURCE CONSENT 1. Before you apply for resource consent discuss your needs with a planner in your local Council Service Centre. This service is free. 2. It would also be advisable to discuss your proposal with your neighbours as their consent may be required. 3. Your plans should be thoroughly prepared before making an application to avoid unnecessary delays and costs. 4. An application for a resource consent will cost around $375 for the Council s time in assessing your building and landscape plan. Essential information required before processing consents: 1. A dimensioned plan of the property, drawn to a recognised scale eg 1:100 or 1:200 showing: North Site area The distance of the proposed garage from the house to side and road boundaries Existing fencing and/or screening, including existing landscaping to be retained and plant species identified. Proposed landscaping and plant species identified with spacing between plants shown. Location of sewer and stormwater pipes, and power and phone connections. 2. A landscape plan showing tree and plant species, paving and walls or fences. 3. Consideration of alternative locations for the garage and reasons why you feel they are not appropriate. 4. Elevations and/or cross sections drawn to a recognised scale e.g. 1:100 or 1:200, showing the proposed garage, its relationship to the house, your neighbour s property, and the distance of the garage: From the road From the side boundary facing the garage door (where the garage door is at right angles to the road) and/or photographs of the house from the street, including adjoining properties with the outline of the proposed garage sketched on if possible. 5. A description of the materials and colours of the: Walls and roof of the existing house Walls and roof of the proposed garage Existing and/or proposed fencing or screening 6. The Proposed City Plan zone your property is located in e.g. Living Whether your property is in a Special Amenity Area (SAM ). 8