Minutes from Meeting of Mt Cook Mobilised 25 November 2007

Minutes from meeting of Mt Cook Mobilised 25 November 2007

Venue: 40 Wallace St. Mt Cook (Thanks to John and Joss Morrison) Time: 4 – 5.45pm

Present: Peter Cooke (chair), Joss Morrison, Pauline Swann, Alison Smith, Shirley Meyers, Annie Fleetwood, Ross Tanner, Karen Smyth, Dave Smyth, Jacky Haydn, Ruth Jeffery, Frank Cook, Susan Cook, Iona Pannett, Carol Comber

Apologies: Geoff Stone, John Morrison, Jane Loughnan, Grant Tilly, Brian Carmody, Dorothy Carmody, Kristelle Plimmer

Copies to: Chris O’Gorman, Steve Cromb, Greg Reilly, Don McDonald, Sue Stewart, Peter Frater, Steve Dunn, Gabrielle O’Brien, Julia Ames, Stephen King, Sarah King, Frances Fitzjohn, Jo Hickling, Julie Hymes, Celia Wade-Brown, Helene Ritchie

Discussion Foodstuffs Update from meeting on 15 November with Wayne O’Styke and Ian Hutchison of Foodstuffs. Meeting was very amicable and informative. Wayne showed us the tentative plans for a New World, including organics and fresh foods, with a café overlooking the Basin. 157 car parks are planned for underneath the supermarket, digging down half a storey with car parking partially open to the air.

Two blocks of apartments are planned, likely to include 20 apartments in each block, one possibly off lower Douglas St. The yellow villas at 53/55 Rugby St are owned by Foodstuffs – no firm decision yet, but we are hoping that the apartments can be placed behind the villas. The pool facility will not be retained. The façade may be retained. The family of Harry Drummond have requested the 100-year old plaque commemorating Harry’s death (sited outside the YMCA).

A New World brand petrol station is planned for the Rugby/Tasman St corner, including a convenience store.

The main road access entrance/exit will be off Rugby St, at its intersections with the Basin. A truck entrance is planned for Tasman St, opposite the tennis courts. This may be a 2-way entrance/exit. Some of the trucks will be smaller delivery vehicles. The main design hassle for Foodstuffs is how to get servicing trucks in and out. Council is keen to have an exit onto Adelaide Rd, Foodstuffs not so keen, but are likely to use lower Douglas St as a road access for the apartments. In total, Foodstuffs are planning 2 entrance/exits on Rugby St, 2-3 on Tasman St, and one on Douglas St. Pedestrian accesses are planned.

Foodstuffs not interested in swapping sites with Mt Cook School, after spending 5 years purchasing properties. The two printing businesses (corner Tasman and Douglas Streets) and Guardian Alarms (Rugby St) are not owned by Foodstuffs.

Truck deliveries will be between 6-10am, council may stipulate no deliveries before 7am. Opening hours planned to be 6am – 11pm. 25% of the customers are expected to be on foot. Most customers are expected to be from Mt Cook, Mt Victoria, Massey and the other local educational institutions. 15-18% are expected to be visitors to the area. Brooklyn is not considered to be in the target catchment, due to difficult access (although this is contrary to what we are hearing from Brooklyn locals). Foodstuffs offered to meet us again in February and to show us the Traffic Design Group and Urban Perspectives reports they have commissioned. Demolition is planned for early 2008, with extensive soil testing to follow before building can start.

Iona is organising a 3-way meeting with Foodstuffs and WCC before the formal regulatory process begins.

Suggestions made to Foodstuffs 1. Retain heritage, 53/55 Rugby St and BGI façade 2. Limit effects on traffic (foot and vehicular), including the idea of having pedestrian crossings through the site 3. Limit scale of development 4. Development in keeping with the character of Mt Cook; active edge 5. Possibility of including some community space and/or a play area. 6. Limit the height of the apartments

Adelaide Rd Project / District Plan WCC has delivered Adelaide Rd brochures to all households in the affected area and households in the adjoining streets. Public feedback is sought by 14 December.

General discussion on items for feedback – traffic, especially the impacts when Wellington Hospital re-opens next year, John St junction, 2-way traffic around the basin, providing car park- and-ride parking facilities (e.g. near the indoor sports centre), mixing commercial and accommodation, creating denser accommodation (upwards), having Adelaide Rd as a “destination” not just a traffic route to other places, community space, social housing, more trees, encouraging people to bus or walk to the city from Newtown, cyclists.

Iona is still waiting for a briefing on the Adelaide Rd project, but will talk to Sherilyn Gray and Ernst Zollner about when an information session can be held with Mt Cook residents. Plan is to do a leaflet drop to advertise this, and to e-mail some questions to Sherilyn prior to the meeting. Annie, Karen, Shirley and Jacky can help with leaflet drops.

ACTION: Iona talking to Sherilyn Gray and Ernst Zollner to find a meeting date in the first week of December.

Newtown Residents Association AGM held on 19 November. Karen, John, Peter and Carol attended. Sherilyn Gray from WCC gave a high level presentation of the Adelaide Rd Project, seeking feedback and public input.

Newtown Residents Association moved that Mt Cook Mobilised be considered a “project” of NRA. The relationship was likened to a “big brother, little brother” one – i.e. NRA happy to provide their insights and support, with our group pursuing a localised Mt Cook agenda.

When NRA puts in submissions, they are always asked how many members they represent. Mt Cook members are able to join. Carol passed around membership forms and collected gold coin subscriptions to NRA.

ACTION: Carol to pass membership forms and gold coins to Kevin Lethbridge at NRA.

Other Updates

St Marks School Project to upgrade to a full secondary school has been withdrawn Indoor Sports ice rink No longer going ahead Friends of Wright St Production Village developer has withdrawn the application for resource consent, but is planning to make changes to the consent application and re-apply.

TSW Amalgamated with Capital Swim School. The pool is at the end of its life, so it is not viable to save the swimming facility. WCC are upgrading Kilbirnie Pool. Newtown swim school separate.

Traffic Transit is carrying out a long term study from Ngauranga to the airport.

Wellington High School – “The Mt Cook Project” Letter of support sent to the WHS project on behalf of the group.

Transition Town Forum To be held next Thursday at 7:30 at St Andrews on the Terrace. To include discussion on an eco town at Taupo.

Mt Cook School Traffic monitoring ongoing. Have offered use of school grounds and BBQ for our group. Co-ordinate with the Principal if we want to arrange this.

YMCA Holiday programme is moving to the Chinese Sports centre in Berhampore.

FONSPAN Brian Carmody keen to attend our meeting, not able to attend today. Brian is seeking advice on whether some FONSPAN funds could be put towards MCM costs.

Draft Principles for Mt Cook Will be forwarded for discussion at the next meeting.

Group Structure Still informal for now. Preference is to focus energies on the issues rather than on creating and administering a formal structure. Newtown Residents Association is supportive.