KOGARAH councillors debated whether beauty was enough to save a classic property before a majority voted in favour of the demolition of an art deco house at South Hurstville.
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The house was described in heritage studies as an imposing "interwar art deco style residential building that is a good example of its type, with fine architectural detail" that included leadlight windows, wrought iron balustrades and rendered archways.
It has been considered a candidate for possible heritage listing but never formally classified as a historically significant property.
Council staff sent a letter to lawyers representing the property owners in 2001. In it they said the house was "always considered as having heritage significance", but the listing of the property had been deferred "pending further consultation with the owners".
The owners successfully requested the house not receive heritage listing.
Tessa Thomas told councillors at last month's meeting that the property was built by her great-uncle, Frank James Howell, and had been subject to an "interim heritage order".
She said the house had been on the cusp of heritage listing but somehow missed out. "It was on the list for years and years and years," she said.
"They never ended up getting to it for some reason."
The house is set to make way for a $1.8 million two-storey unit block with eight apartments.
William Karevalas, a spokesman for the developer, said there was "no heritage issue" with the site and rejected calls for a further examination of the property's significance.
"If any heritage study needed to be done it should have been completed well and truly before this time," he said.
The nine councillors present last month were split five votes to four in favour of allowing the demolition.
*An earlier version mistakenly said the house was in Connells Point. It is on Connells Point Road, South Hurstville.
Should Kogarah Council have done more to save the art deco building?
