The Sarah Lands Saga

Sarah Lands is similar to Solsbury Field in that it is another relatively small independent development in the Keysborough South area. It is located at the corner of Perry Rd and Westwood Boulevard. Land sales started in July 2014 and the civil works commenced in September of that year. Purchasers were told that titles were expected in March/April 2015 (sounds familiar). 

It would seem that most of the development work was indeed completed with roads, kerbs, footpaths, crossovers and streetlights in place by the end of March. It has therefore been a source of frustration for the buyers that although the civil works are completed that the predicted date for titles was continually put back.

Unfortunately, some land buyers had assumed the original title dates were a reliable guide and entered into contracts with builders. They are now paying penalties to builders as a consequence of the ongoing delays.

It has emerged that these delays are due to a dispute between the developer, Galileo and the Greater Dandenong Council over an area set aside as public space in the estate. The council was seeking a formal undertaking from Galileo that it would fund the open space works.

Perhaps unfairly, the buyers attempted to apply pressure on the council to resolve the matter. A number of them attended a Council meeting on the 13^th of July enquiring about the cause of the ongoing delays. Representatives from the council indicated that they were waiting on the developer to submit the required paperwork. Once this was received the council would be able to certify compliance in approximately one week.

It is understood that there was a meeting between the council and the developer on the 10^th of July where they reached an agreement on a way forward. The developer submitted the paperwork on the July 14 and the council certified compliance on the July 23. Who says the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the grease!

Large Building on Stanley Road

So, what is the large building under construction on the left hand side of the photograph ? It's located just behind the Solsbury Field development at 85 Stanley Road After a little research I have found that it will be an Arcare Aged Care Residential facility. According to the brochure :

Arcare Keysborough’s lush tropical gardens, resort style design and relaxed atmosphere make it an oasis for all to enjoy. Beyond the luxurious surroundings, your loved one will be supported by our innovative relationship-focused approach to celebrating and supporting old age."

"Arcare Keysborough will have 90 suites and offer permanent and sensitive care. It features large private suites with:

Ensuite with shower, Telephone connection, Flat screen television, Foxtel available, Individual heating & cooling, Balcony & courtyard access, Wireless internet available, Alfresco café, Hairdressing salon, Gift shop, Large community hall, Movie theatre / worship room, Intimate dining & lounge rooms, Manicured courtyards & gardens, Delicious meals prepared fresh on site, Private dining room, Bus for excursions.”

Development Compliance

As you can see from the photo, things look very similar to the way they did 2 weeks ago. The fence is still there. The roads are still not sealed and all the earthmoving equipment is still on site. Most of the activity over the last fortnight appears to have been on the Church Road end of the development. The majority of the concrete roadside parking bays are now complete. It seems plausible to me that the civil works should be finished in approximately two weeks.

Once the development is complete the developer must submit the appropriate paper work to the Greater Dandenong Council. They will then conduct an inspection and if the meets the requirements as specified in the Planning Permit are complete they will certify the development as compliant. This process is estimated to take 1 to 2 weeks.

New Home Builder Comparison Website

Was channel surfing last night and saw an ad for a new house/builder comparison website. The URL for the site is:

http://www.ibuildnew.com.au

So I decided to take a look. It has the information that you would normally find on a number of individual builder websites but across a number of builders. This means you can search for the house attributes you are interested in and get results across a number builders (in your area) instead of just one.

It also has base price information which only seems to be available on about 50% of the individual builder websites. Of course, you need to be careful with direct base price comparisons as each builder has different inclusions. eg. Porter Davis include brick in-fills but don't provide floor coverings.

Many of the larger project builders are featured including Porter Davis, Carlisle, Metricon, Dennis Family, Burbank and J G King. However, there are some notable omissions including Simonds and Fairhaven.

What Lies Beneath

I’m now fairly certain the contour survey and soil tests for our land now have been completed. I believe this to be the case because, on Friday, I received a request from Orbit Homes for a copy of the developer’s Compaction report. (A request which I duly have passed on to the agent.) I was told that the compaction report is required because there is up to 2 metres of fill on the block. 

The original engineering drawings for the development indicated that going clockwise from the northwest corner, the levels of fill were to be : 0.68m, 1.30m, 1.48m and 0.95m. Given the quoted 2m figure it seems these levels may have increased in practice. Soil compaction occurs when force is applied to soil such that it increases the soil density due to the displacement of air. This is in contrast to soil consolidation which is due to the displacement of water.

Fill should be placed and compacted in thin layers. This provides for consistent compaction at all levels. Under these circumstances the total depth of the fill is no longer a significant factor. AS2870 provides guidance on the specification, execution and control testing of earth works and associated site preparation works for residential developments. It specifies inspection and testing protocols which provide a greater level of assurance that the compaction has been undertaken in a satisfactory manner.

For a block such as ours, with a significant degree of fill, the compaction report is an important document because it has a direct impact the house foundation design requirements. Fill that has been placed and compacted in Layers with Level 1 certification is commonly regarded as suitable for supporting single or double storey houses.

The Fence Mystery

To my un-informed eye this is a mystery. Why erect a fence on one side of Red Brush road across the middle of the development ? What does it achieve ? They seem to have installed a gateway across Lot 30 forcing all all the heavy machinery to take this path. I’m not sure what to think about this. I guess it doesn’t really matter as long as they fill in the depression that has been created at the edge of the crossover.

According to the documentation the development was divided into four stages which were to be delivered in two phases. Stages 1, 2 and 3 were to be titled March/April 2015. Stage 4 titles were set down for late July 2015. Stage 4 was comprised of Lots 8 – 16. These lots are located along the church Rd end of Stanley Road. This appears to be where the civil work is currently being undertaken. Perhaps all four stages will be titled at the same time.