Fire aftermath -update 4/4/2010

Three story townhouse (corner Mann  and Capper Drives) after the fire.



Update: The adjoining unit has also been burnt out on Saturday 3rd April  after  the earlier demolition of  the end unit

Postscript : Local information indicates that the partially rebuilt houses will now have to be demolished once again, as the builder involved has succumbed to his financial setbacks

THREE OVERHEAD CRANES AT SCALI'S WAREHOUSE CHIEF STREET

Hindmarsh residents who fancy heavy duty container cranes are in for a treat when these three beauties get going at Scali's Warehouse. 

Currently stored at the northern end of the site between Chief and West Streets Brompton, owing no doubt to the current Residential Zone in play, they will need the Government's Bowden Village Rezoning Plan to go thru before they can be erected. 

Once the block bounded by West Street, First Street, Chief and Hawker Streets is listed as "Mixed Use" the cranes are certain to become a highly noticeable addition 24/7 to an area which at present is overwhelmingly residential in character.

About Nick Scali Limited: 
(This is an extract from Scalis’ Annual Report. They intend to have a high through-put of shipping containers at their Chief Street site.)

Nick Scali Furniture was founded over 45 years ago and is now one of Australia's largest retailers and importers of quality furniture.

Nick Scali Furniture imports in excess of 3,000 containers of furniture per year, specialising in quality leather and fabric lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms and occasional furniture. There are currently 28 showrooms located in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia under the Nick Scali brand.

Nick Scali Furniture will continue to expand in existing and new markets

Australia wide.

Nick Scali Furniture has distribution centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Adelaide to ensure the respective markets can be served efficiently.

Nick Scali Furniture's capacity to import directly from manufacturers worldwide in large volumes ensures that the lowest possible price is offered to the consumer - ensuring the best value for money.

Couple in the dark over three story flats (plus update Frid. 28th March)

A young couple told the Councils Development Assessment Panel meeting a few weeks ago that
“At no point during the extensive design approval process did the City Edge Consortium or the Charles Sturt Council tell us that our single story home would be out of place among three story developments”
The first-home owners were objecting to the development proposed for 5 Brown Street Brompton which includes 4 three story flats located on the boundary of their almost completed house on Mann Drive. (The proposed flats are to be 9.4 meters high and would cast a shadow over the Mann Drive home in the afternoons).
The meeting was told of a visit by the General Manager of the City Edge Consortium to the parents’ home where the couple were asked to swap their site on Mann Drive for a different, and smaller lot elsewhere – “for reasons he would or could not disclose”.
The dispute is yet to be resolved, with Council asking for further information from the developers of the Brown Street proposal. It is unwise to make any comment on the merits of the parties submissions here.
But more general conclusions can be considered. Is it possible that such a new home builder not be aware of development applications for their immediate area?
Unfortunately in this case, it is. Firstly, because the City of Charles Sturt Development Register lists the Brown Street development as “ten two story units” – no mention of any three story development at all. So the first that the Mann Drive couple would know of the problem would be with the “Development Approved” recommendation from the City Planning Department to the Assessment Panel.
Secondly, since there appears to a professional “code of silence” amongst planners and developers which prevents them from doing what to ordinary people is the obvious thing to do – tell people what is going on.
This “code of silence” extends to area wide planning initiatives too – how many residents would have been told by their Council staff or elected representative that a proposal for rezoning of the area from Ovingham to Woodville is being prepared by the Planning department of Charles Sturt Council?
“The purpose of the Residential Growth Strategy and Character Study is to undertake a strategic review of residential land within the city to identify where increased residential development and regeneration can occur. Residential character areas will also be reviewed to determine and document the character elements. The study will determine if change is required to existing zones and policy areas and assist with updating desired character statements and residential design standards.”
“A major challenge for accommodating growth in the corridors, particularly the Port Road / Torrens Road corridor is the high concentration of Residential Character Zones which contain Historic Conservation Areas. Approximately 40 percent of the Port Road / Torrens Road corridor is within a Residential Character Zone and the areas surround the railway stations.”
( http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/cd09-12-07.pdf )
It is suggested by Council Committee that a proposed Community Consultation Process for the rezoning study be replaced by “focus groups of 8 to 10 people”
If the Residential Character / Heritage zones are watered down, the result may well be many many more Brown Street style developments – a possibility one would expect to be informed of by the Ward Councillors, or the local MP Michael Atkinson. Perhaps YOU have been, but then again, maybe not. Perhaps you’ll be given a say as a member of a focus group instead? I just hope this helps you make up your mind for whom to vote next time you get a chance…

UPDATE  Friday 26th March 5:28

After searching the surrounding area of City Edge, I found a Development Application (see : http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/252_2551_09_-_Lot_59_Mann_Drive_Brompton.pdf  )
which seems to indicate that a 4 story flat development is proposed for the other side of the single story family home in Mann Drive. These are to be located  located on d79145 lot 59 and d79145 lot 217, Corner Mann Drive and Thornes Lane. If the Shadow diagrams are to be believed, this will put most of the home on lot 61 in shade from one side or the other in the mornings and the afternoons.

Green Bins on Brown Street

Where do the wheelie bins go in a high density residential development? In a certain street in   Brompton, they’re left  week in week out on the footpath – there’s nowhere else to put them.
A certain street in Brompton on any weekend:

The Councils Development Assessment Panel  met tonight to consider this and many other problems of high density residential development in the case of 5 Brown Street Brompton -  the Associated Joiners factory site. The applicant sought permission to build five two story row dwellings, a block of three story residential flats and one two story detached house – ten units in all on a 1,448 square metre site – or less if you subtract the area set aside for a private road off Thornes Lane

A motion to refuse the application was defeated 2 votes to  4  and a motion to defer the decision until the next meeting of the panel in a fortnights time got up.
Council staff were unable to provide a zoning map of the area for the meeting when it was required. I suggest they look in the green bin.

Independent Candidate Max Galanti

Dear Residents of Hindmarsh. 
             My name is Max Galanti.
I am standing for the seat of Croydon as an Independent Candidate on March 20th. I have lived in the Croydon Electorate in Woodville Park for 41 years. My wife and I have two boys. I work as an industrial engineer.
It’s great to hear that you have a community paper and that it can be accessed on line. I believe we need more of this in other electorates. It allows people in the community the opportunity to voice their concerns on local and state issues, it allows other people in the community to realise that issues they feel strongly about may  also  be shared by other members of the local area. This was shown in the St Clair issue and it was great to see how many of my local community felt about  the possible loss of  St Clair . I think you have an advantage that you have set up an avenue where local issues can be brought to the attention of other neighbours very quickly and that updates can also be posted.
I am standing because local issues are no longer taken into account - we can see this with Cheltenham race course, here was an opportunity to turn this area into a magnificent green area with playing fields and stormwater collection, we could have used the collected water in summer. St Clair with its wide open green area and no housing gives people of the area an opportunity to escape the “residential area”.  St Clair was community land its title was changed and sold to developers and  they  want to dig it up and surround it with housing.

The decline of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital - maternity has been taken away and the world renowned renal unit has been taken to the Royal Adelaide. Patient waiting times at the Q.E.H. have now blown out to be some of the longest when compared to other major hospitals.
I believe independent politicians tend to represent local people and their issues better that party politicians - a good example is Nick Xenephon. He has taken up many causes for people all over this state he can afford to do this because he has no party baggage.
The western area has been a stronghold of labor -  it has a large majority in both Croydon and Cheltenham electorates and this is where the problem starts. Our local concerns can be dismissed as the impact may be minimal on this large advantage Labor holds. Well I believe the impact on their majority will be bigger than they think.
Regards
Max Galanti.
(Hindmarsh Issues has approached Croydon  candidates for their input. Max is the first off the mark.)