Resource Consent for development on corner of Tinakori Rd / Park St - Declined

The Hearings Commissioner has DECLINED the application by CapitalSkinz Limited to Wellington City Council to construct a three storey commercial building at 92 Tinakori Road Thorndon. This was to  comprise medical facilities, retail and café activities including associated earthworks and signage.

Click here to view the Commissioner's report.

Resource Consent Application for non-residential land use cnr Tinakori Rd & Park St

WCC have publicly notified an application for resource consent to build a commercial building on the corner of Tinakori Road (92,& 96-98) and Park Street (3-5).

The proposal is to construct a three-story commercial building (up to 11.95m high) comprising office, retail and cafe activities (i.e. all non-residential), and includes associated earthworks, signage and parking.

Notification documents are accessible from these links: 

1. Public Notice and instructions to submitters

2. Section 95A-95F notification decision report

3. WCC Advisors Assessments:

    a. Earthworks

    b. Contaminatamination

    c. Transportation

    d. Noise

    e. Vehicle access

    f. Urban Design

4. Cardno’s response to Section 92 Letter (further information provided)

5. Further Information

6. Application document

7. Application drawings/plans

Report: TRA Annual General Meeting

This evening the Annual General Meeting of the TRA was hosted by the  Kingsgate Hotel. Members, neighbours, friends and Councillors (City and Regional) enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle during a networking hour prior to the AGM. Everyone appreciated both the hospitality of the Kingsgate team and their support of the Association. The meeting venue was perfect and this considerably assisted a smooth navigation through the agenda prepared by Sadie Laurenson (Secretary), and led by William Neal (Chair). The meeting relaxed into productive discussion, focused on reports from Committee Portfolio leads. Matters arising were considered and helped identify priority issues for the Association to focus on during  2013-14.

Here are some of the resources from this evenings' meeting:

• Agenda and outline of the meeting
• Minutes from the AGM 2012  (adopted)
• Report from the Community Safety Portfolio
• Report from the Planning & Environment Portfolio
• Submission on Regional governance
• Officers and Committee of the TRA (confirmed)
• Draft Minutes of AGM 2013

Yet Another Car Wreck in Hobson St

A year on, and yet another serious car accident has occurred outside #58 and #60 Hobson St. 
Just after 9PM this evening a parked car was side-swipped so violently that it was shunted completely out of the marked parking space, and jumped onto the curb and into a concrete power pole. 

The parked vehicle was extensively damaged on both sides; from the impacted area on its carriage-way side, as well as being seriously damaged on the left side  where it had been shunted against the curb and concrete pole. 

The culprit disappeared, even before neighbours arrived on the scene after leaping out of their homes to investigate the cause of the noisy incident.
In the past year residents have experienced damage (less serious than tonights) to their vehicles parked in the same vicinity. A year ago there was a serious incident when a vehicle left the road and wrecked the front fence and carport at #62. 


There is an issue with dangerous driving and speeding along Hobson St. 

TXT 3400 for Council fix-ups

You've just noticed something WCC needs to fix?

Then why not TXT them on 3400. It's free.

A blocked drain, graffiti, street light, etc. Send the details through with the exact location details.

The service is free - you won't be charged for caring for our community.

More info: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/news/display-item.php?id=4362

[ You can't send photos or other media just yet - WCC is working on adding these features in the future.]

Car crash in Hobson St

Late last night a 'boy racer' lost control of his vehicle while reversing along Hobson St. The vehicle mounted the curb (in reverse) smashing into a front entrance gate and wooden fencing and wrecking these. Support posts of an adjacent carport were dismantled as well. A parked resident's car was also damaged and shunted along.

Local residents were quickly upon the scene. Police arrived in force, including dog handler, soon afterward.

Residents have noted an increase in dangerous driving along Hobson St, usually involving speed. In 2005 WCC proposed plans to manage traffic in Hobson St but nothing eventuated.

TRA help clarify Village parking controls

Action by the TRA Traffic Action Group has helped clarify parking in the Village. WCC traffic resolutions will be received by the Strategy and Policy Committee on 19th August. Quote from the report:

"With the recent review of Resident and Coupon Parking Areas the parking restrictions within Thorndon Village were questioned in relation to what constituted an ‘Authorised Vehicle’. After consultation with the Traffic Working Group (Thorndon Residents Association) this has been clarified in relation to the Thorndon Area. It is therefore an opportune time to reconfirm the parking restrictions within Thorndon Village. There are to be no changes to the resoluted parking spaces or current restrictions within Thorndon Village."

Temporary road closure trial Saturday evening

If you're going to the All Blacks vs Springboks rugby test on Saturday (17 July), or driving around Westpac Stadium and Thorndon on Saturday evening, it might pay to plan your trip a bit more thoroughly than usual. More information in this WCC News item.

Our Busiest Cycling Route gets Safer

A new clearway will operate on part of Thorndon Quay from today to make Wellington's busiest commuter cycling route safer. Visit WCC news.

Navigating burglars

Windscreen mounted in-car navigation devices attract burglars. The Hobson Court Apartments carpark was visited last evening by vandals who smashed a passenger window to steal a navigation device.

Submission on Parking, Traffic Action Group

Feedback to WCC on review of residents' parking and coupon schemes. See earlier post on 12 September.

The residents’ parking scheme provides parking spaces for residents in areas dominated by commuters and institutions. Residents of specified Thorndon streets are eligible to apply for either a Residents’ Parking Permit or a Coupon Exemption Permit.

There is a high level of demand for parking in Thorndon coupon zones, particularly on streets close to the central city.

Residential Thorndon is a suburb where residents need regulatory assistance to preserve an adequate number of curbside parking spaces. The protection is needed to preserve normal suburban living expectations, especially being able to safely park residents’ vehicles on the street.

Residential Thorndon suffers an onslaught of car park seekers every business day. Thorndon is also the nearest residential suburb to the regional stadium. Therefore residents also need protection from time-to-time from visitors to larger events that fall outside the normal business day onslaught. Local schools and halls also help load the streets with visitors and car park seekers. This can also occur during non-business days, public holidays or weekends when special events occur. The Town Belt and parks, the heritage trails, sports clubs (Bridge clubs, Tennis Club, etc) and the Thorndon tourist attractions can also add to the competition for car parks in residential Thorndon streets during non-business days (weekends, Public Holidays, school holidays).

The Thorndon Residents’ Association seeks solutions which secure parking, 24x7x365 for legitimate residents’ vehicles.

Residents of Thorndon have the same needs to service their properties, and to have independent vehicular access, as any of the other city residential householders situated in other suburbs of Wellington City. Families often have more than one vehicle, and whether there is off-street parking or not there are many scenarios that demand the need for alternate curbside parking for the family car off property, particularly during recreational periods ie weekends when the off-street parking space may be needed for other normal household activity (on-site spaces are not solely for parking vehicles, particularly on smaller sized urban properties). It is also noted that many Thorndon properties may have designated ‘off-street’ parking but the size of these spaces can be too restrictive for larger vehicles so curbside parking is still required because of these realities.

Thorndon residents also need some provision for visitors, like trades people to park and service their properties; or to temporarily park a trailer, for example ... a normal weekend activity for DIY residents. Residents of Thorndon expect the same freedoms that other suburban dwellers in the city enjoy.

It is noted that residential Thorndon properties contribute considerably to the city’s rate take. 737 valuation properties in Residential Thorndon provide a rating base valued over $900 million. It is therefore considered fair, in return, to seek from the city some fair protection and priority of access to street parking for residents. There is a high expectation that the city ensure that all legitimate residents of Thorndon have priority consideration for on-street car parking.

Given the considerable collective contribution from residential Thorndon already makes in rates, the Thorndon Residents’ Association is not in favour of fee increases or restrictions on parking permit allowances for legitimate Thorndon residents. Most of the demand for extra street parking in Thorndon does not arise from Thorndon residents. Commuters, visitors and workers at nearby institutions, or patrons of sports events, are the main cause of parking congestion in Thorndon. Therefore the recovery of the costs to regulating street parking must be ascribed to those creating the extra burden and demands ie the commuters and visitors who bring the problem to Thorndon.

The Association also questions whether the city has an appropriate balance between this review and other aspects of the city transport strategy; for example park and ride. Rather than encouraging people to drive vehicles to park in Thorndon and then walk to their office, or school etc, why isn’t the city promoting alternatives, such as parking at a public parking terminal ( in the ‘burbs ) and riding public transport into the city? Perhaps an incentive for this to work would be an increase to the coupon parking fee up to whatever motivating level is necessary to change behaviour.

There also appears to be some devils in the detail of the administration of the current Residents’ parking scheme. Distortions occur with the existing regime. It is particularly noticed in some areas of Thorndon, typically those residential areas that are situated nearer the central areas. Residents in these areas of Thorndon notice that they often can’t find a residents’ car park during business days when the parking spaces should be reserved for residents. Where are all these other permitted cars arriving from? They consume the residents’ parking spaces and they deny legitimate residents from parking within the vicinity of their homes. This suggests there are scheme management problems. People appear to be able to abuse the current scheme.

Submission in Summary:
• Provide priority for legitimate Thorndon residents
• Do not restrict permits for legitimate Thorndon residents
• Do not increase fees for legitimate Thorndon residents; instead focus on dissuading the protagonists (increase the fee differential for them)
• Tighten-up the administration of the scheme; there seems to be some abuse.

Yours sincerely

Carolyn Shields
Lead, Traffic Action Group
Thorndon Residents Association

William Neal
Acting Chair
Thorndon Residents Association