Neighbors shocked by the building structure. Who has experienced this before?

In BaWü, all adjacent neighbors are notified and given a deadline within which they can inspect the building application and, if necessary, file an objection.

I have actually done this recently. A 2.5-story building with five residential units is now planned to be built on a plot where a single-family house over 100 years old used to stand. Unfortunately, there is no development plan beyond that point, and the height is not a problem for the neighborhood. I filed an objection because the building line is supposed to be much further forward due to carports than is usual in the street, and because – unlike all other plots – there will be no garden area at all. Only the setback areas are (sometimes down to the centimeter) not built on or sealed.

Let's see if the objection has any effect...

Thank you all for the many responses. We have built and informed the immediate neighbors very early on about what is being constructed. We presented them with the designs, elevations, floor plans, etc. Not just once, but several times we talked with the neighbors about it.

But now they are still shocked because they couldn't imagine how what was drawn on paper would later appear. Now it is too big....

Sometimes you just have to endure the initial displeasure, and then everything will be fine.

Thank you, that already gives a little courage

But now they are still shocked because they couldn't imagine how what was drawn on paper would later look. Now it is too big....

With all neighborly friendliness, that's not your problem. Have the people also made a suggestion on how to proceed now? A dismantling would be even worse...

Just wait and stay friendly. It will be fine. And: what [matte] says. You did what you could.

Have the people also ever made a suggestion on how things should proceed now?

There are no demands and nothing can be changed anymore. But we were shocked by the "unspoken rejection" and reserve. Especially since we had really disclosed everything long in advance. Surely the construction noise during the intense phase also contributed. We also hope that everything will settle down once some peace has returned and everyone has gotten used to a new building. Just wanted to know if and how others here in the forum have experienced it.

If everything has been built according to the corresponding regulations/[development plan], then everything is okay for now. And for anything further, you could simply invite the neighbors to a barbecue or something to normalize the relationship or, before any further problems arise, possibly smooth things over.

It is clear that it looks completely different on paper than in reality, and suddenly it can appear much larger, etc. Seek a conversation and just kindly invite them, or are they the type who got scared so that the relationship is immediately very difficult? Ok, you have already answered that (in the meantime). So just invite them to smooth things over.

It just feels different than on paper and, as you rightly say, maybe the construction noise/dirt also contributed. But that can possibly be fixed with an invitation to a barbecue.