New Kurralta Park house built with garage behind Stobie pole but who is to blame: council or State Government?
THE owner of a new house with a garage built in front of a Stobie pole says she will pay to have it removed — and that she had no idea the pole would be there until the house was complete.
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THE owner of a new house with a garage built in front of a Stobie pole says she will pay to have it removed — and that she had no idea the pole would be there until the house was complete.
The courtyard home on Daly St, Kurralta Park, has a single garage directly behind a pole and drew criticism on social media and from a local councillor for poor planning.
Owner Fariba Chegini said she and her husband Dr Sassan Chegini were paying SA Power Networks to have the pole moved.
She said she did not realise its position in front of the garage until it was complete.
“We’re going to get it shifted — it will happen in the next month,” Mrs Chegini said.
It will be moved to the northern boundary of the property.
West Torrens councillor John Woodward said the house was a “cracking example” of bad development creating traffic and parking issues.
“Basically with homes with these garages, they’re used for a spare room, and the car parks on the street — and Daly St is already busy,” he said.
“It’s a cracking example where the cars associated with the development will end up on the street.”
Cr Woodward posted a picture of the house on his Facebook page, generating debate among his followers.
The development was assessed by a private certifier under a “residential code”, which the State Government introduced in 2013 to speed up approvals.
A West Torrens Council spokeswoman said: “When (the) council assessed the land division application prior to the house approval, the land division was approved with the understanding that the driveway would be on the other side of the allotment, well away from the Stobie pole.”
The council said the Fairmont Homes development was then privately certified by architecture business Giordano & Associates.
Planning Minister John Rau said the council, which approved the subdivision and the development plan it was built under, was responsible.
“I reject any suggestion that the State Government had anything to do with the construction on this allotment in this way,” Mr Rau said.
Paul Giordano, of Giordano & Associates, who certified the proposed building met Australian standards, blamed West Torrens Council and the property’s owner, who built the driveway directly towards the pole instead of curving around it.
“For the council to pass the buck and say it was privately certified is not correct in this case because we had no control to say anything about the Stobie pole,” Mr Giordano said.
He said plans shown to him — and seen by Advertiser.com.au — had a curving driveway around the pole.
However, he said it was common for builders to leave paving up to the owner.