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A new driveway out of the home at 114 Ladies Mile, Manly, has raised hackles among residents who previously parked there.
The O’Rourke family constructed the double-width driveway outside their gate towards the end of last year – it was previously a grass berm.
The property is right on Manly Beach, in a cul-de-sac that is a popular parking spot for beach-goers in summer.
Residents who contacted Hibiscus Matters were angry at the size of the vehicle crossing, which took out several potential carparks plus the grass berm that people park tractors on.
One likened it to the illegal garden planted on Big Manly Beach, saying they want Auckland Transport (AT) “to put a stop to people stealing public assets”.
Vehicle crossings outside the required standards need resource consent from AT – which homeowner Kerry O’Rourke did not obtain.
The home already has separate vehicle access and the new driveway is solely to bring a boat in and out.
He says the boatshed has been on the property for 30 years and at times it has been impossible to get the boat out because of vehicles parked on the road.
On hearing of the complaints, O’Rourke said he would be in touch with AT.
He said that he has had many compliments from passers-by, because it has tidied up the previously lumpy, bumpy grass area, which he said will make parking easier for the public.
“It’s public land and we don’t mind people parking on [the berm],” he said. “But we need access to our boatshed.”
AT’s area compliance auditor classified it as ‘an illegal vehicle crossing’, because no consent was applied for.
AT is notifying the owner of this, asking them to either remove the crossing, or submit a retrospective application. As well as the width, AT is concerned about the quality of the materials used and whether the work complies with its technical standards.
