76 Wattle Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122

The house at 76 Wattle Rd, Hawthorn should be heritage listed and any multi-dwelling development would be detrimental to the streetscape.

The property at 76 Wattle Rd, Hawthorn should be heritage listed as a classic double-fronted Italianate brick villa.

With its adjacent properties maintaining Victorian façades (73, 75, and 78 being individually heritage listed), any multi-unit development will significantly impact the aesthetic of the local area and further stuff the narrow and already crowded Wattle Road, especially on school days.

It is absurd that this property is not currently heritage listed and I note that in a 2009 Hawthorn Heritage precinct study it’s level of significance was rated at the highest level. Both the Victorian building and it’s unique and beautiful large setback from the street were noted. I am very concerned about the direction and pace of development in Wattle Road. We have already had one property (58 Wattle Road) slip between the cracks and it would be very damaging for Wattle Road as well as the broader Manningtree and Lisson Grove precincts if another property that should clearly be heritage listed was to be demolished to make way for townhouses. Not only will it be damaging to the visual amenity of the street but will also increase a number of other issues in the area (parking as one example is a nightmare in Wattle Road, as is travelling it in a car due to how narrow it is - both of these present challenges for pedestrian safety and I am deeply concerned that this development will exacerbate these challenges).

The demolition of 76 Wattle Road and commencement of the townhouses build is a great result for the neighborhood and regular people. It is absolute madness to reserve a 1700sq meter block for the use of one family while it can be put to much better use by multiple families who can send their kids to Glenferrie primary across the road. And let's be frank - the heritage argument for preserving the building only applies if you happen to hail from 18th century Tuscany. The number of people whose "heritage" looks like an Italianate villa are few and far between and does not reflect the actual multi-ethnic make-up of Hawthorn. The visual amenity argument is frankly a matter of opinion - I personally like the look of a contemporary townhouse more than that of a shabbily rendered and unmaintained pile of bricks. The street parking argument is moot as well as the townhouses will have parking on site.