WED to hold meeting on Raglan Town Plan

Whaingaroa Environmental Defense has announced that it will be having a meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 13^th July at the Raglan Community House to discuss the draft Raglan Structure Plan.

Information for the meeting is:

Raglan Structure Plan (831KB at http://waidc.govt.nz/Have-your-say/Public-consultation/Variation-15–Raglan-Structure-Plan.aspx) was published on Wednesday. I hope to see you at the WED meeting 7.30pm Community House Tuesday 13^th to discuss it.

Closing date for submissions is Thursday, 29 July.

The main proposals are:-

1. Extend the CBD as far as 24 Wallis St and 23 Cliff St allowing shops up to 300m² (4-Square is about 800m²), with a new road through from 22 Wallis St to 21 Cliff St and a walkway opposite the road to link with Bow St along the boundary of 4-Square and Bow St Motors. The area, “provides the opportunity for establishing a pattern of higher density development that may equally be suitable for tourists or for residents seeking smaller units of accommodation than is typically available”. Buildings fronting Cliff Street are to be 3m to 5m setback from the road, up to 10m high and no more than 2 storeys. Parking is to be on service lanes to the rear. Traffic management, particularly around Cliff St and Bow St will give preference to pedestrians. Fences to be up to 1.2m and transparent.
2. Change the zoning of Raglan Engineering,etc in Park Drive from Industrial to Living Zone
3. Change the zoning of land at 4005 SH23 (near Okete Rd) from Rural to Light Industrial. “the Te Hutewai Road site is not an appropriate location for industrial development due to its isolation from the town, poor standard of road access and unacceptable landscape impacts given its visibility in views of Mount Karioi. An additional site was subsequently examined on the State Highway 23 (Lorenzen Bay) entrance to Raglan but was rejected due to unacceptable impacts on adjacent residentially zoned land”
4. Change the zoning of the Wharf from industrial to the same as the CBD
5. Limit the Living Zone to the existing areas without adding Opotoru or other proposals.
6. Add to the heritage list –
7. 1 Wi Neera St and ‘The Green’ – “the former civic area on both sides of Wi Neera St, bounded by Bow St to the north and Wainui Rd (formerly Green St) to the east.”, but excluding the WDC office!
8. 5 Bow St (the description seems to be of 3 Bow St)
9. Seaward end of Bow St Jetty and Landing
10. Kaitoke Flax Mill remnants
11. Block bounded Bow St, Wainui Rd and seafront.
12. 1 Norrie Ave
13. 46 Government Road Cox Cottage
14. 33 Wainui Road Nihinihi Mission Cairn

the current list is –

1. Wallis Memorial seat
2. 1 Bow St
3. War Memorial
4. Blacksand
5. The Shack
6. Harbour View Hotel
7. Town Hall
8. Plunket Rooms
9. Congregational Union Church
10. Old School, Stewart St
11. 1 Main Rd (opposite BP)
12. cnr Robertson Rd, Main Rd former police house
13. Wiremu Te Awa Taia monument

What can you think of that should be added to this list?

1. “Congestion on the single lane bridge is common during the holiday season but the effect of delays is to moderate expectations regarding infrastructure standards and capacity beyond the town. Further west, roading standards reduce to unsealed roads which are valued by the community as being appropriate to the spectacular natural landscape.”
2. “Raglan relies heavily on the seasonal influx of visitors, many of whom will be unfamiliar with the entirety of facilities within the town and surrounding area. Some existing facilities such as the Raglan Wharf experience pressure from competing users, particularly in relation to the availability of boat trailer parking. The provision of improved signage regarding the availability of alternative facilities can assist the management of peak pressures and ensure that the capacity of all of the areas recreational facilities is optimised.”

In addition to implying that no action is to be taken on wharf reclamation, or widening the bridge, the Plan does not include other issues which were covered in previous consultation, such as the Whaanga Coast (“Council is currently considering specific provisions for the Proposed District Plan as part of the resolution of the Whaanga Coast appeals.”), Whaanga coast sewage, the walkway from Wi Neera St to the footbridge, other walkways and cycleways (“the benefits of improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and the potential for improvements is now being investigated through the LTCCP process”), or protection of views. What else has been missed out?

For more information contact:

Whaingaroa Environmental Defence Incorporated Registered no.1912150

Secretary: John Lawson, 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnrag@vodafone.co.nz