This is exciting! A council sponsored development of a sustainable village community in the Upper Hutt, with good public transport links into Wellington City.
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Stuff.co.nz: A far-reaching vision for Maymorn, in the Mangaroa Valley, as a “sustainable village community” will be given the go-ahead for public discussion by the city council today.
Five years after the council produced its Urban Growth Strategy, the first major strategy for Upper Hutt’s potential residential growth has taken planning shape.
The Maymorn Structure Plan is, in the long term, a pathway to the provision of medium-term growth which could see 1800 dwellings for more than 4000 people built in the next 10 to 20 years.
The proposed village would occupy the north-eastern corner of the Mangaroa Valley, bound by the Mangaroa River and surrounding hillside.
This afternoon’s council committee will approve the draft plan, which will become available for public input and formal consultation early next month with verbal submissions set to be heard in late August.
Following this, the council will determine whether or not to adopt the structure plan in September.
If that is done the plan will go to the next stage, with the introduction of the changes for the re-zoning of the area in the Upper Hutt District Plan.
“The vision for Maymorn is one of a sustainable village community” mayor Wayne Guppy says.
“I’m excited about the prospects for Maymorn and how residential growth can be carried out in a much more sustainable manner than the traditional residential model.”
The existing railway line on Parkes Line Rd, and the potential for its future electrification, saw the Maymorn area emerge ahead of several others (including Kaitoke) as the best for future development.
With the Maymorn railway station, the planning is set to develop around existing infrastructure and better encourage future growth in an integrated and comprehensive way.
The plan has an urban design focus, drawing on sustainability principles.
It has been planned with varying housing densities proposed (with the smaller lots in the centre of the development).
The draft plan specifically aims to recognise and respond to Maymorn’s natural areas and landscape by protecting and enhancing waterways and surrounding hills.
“By locating a proportion of Upper Hutt’s development north of the city, Maymorn is well positioned to provide a long term boost to the Upper Hutt central business district through adding to the city’s critical mass,” Mr Guppy says.
“Upper Hutt is a city of opportunities, with plenty of leisure attractions, lifestyle options and a rich natural environment.
“It also has a strong and inclusive community and an effective transport network. And it also offers a choice of rural and urban property opportunities.
Read the full article via Far-reaching plan for Maymorn | Stuff.co.nz.
Just what is exciting and sustainable about a money-driven plan to destroy a unique and beautiful valley? Is it only a year (or thereabouts) since Malcolm Gillies’ plan for intensive urbanisation in this same valley, under the title of “The Lanes” was thrown out? What is his involvement in this project? How much are the financial “gifts” he has to pay the UH City Council to bulldoze through his plans? He already has the Mount Maruia project under his belt, with unsightly buildings creeping along the hilltops and ruining the clean green outlook for trampers and other recreational users. He is currently cramming cheap “Golden Homes” housing on ex-mayor Rex Kirton’s land by getting the Council to bend the “interpretation” of the District Plan to put 14 building sites on what was first advertised as three rural sections by the Professionals. The smallest will be around half an acre compared with the district plan limitation of 1 hectare on the valley’s hills. He must be feeling really smug that this never went to resource consent. How can we trust any plan put forward by this Council, when they so readily bend the rules for their favourite developer? Once this Valley is destroyed and gone, we can never get it back. This should be preserved as a genuine rural community, accessible for additional recreational use. Who will want to come out to visit a built-up urban sprawl? Your heading almost got it right – “Far-reaching” – Yes… “Sustainable” – NO!