The Power of the Post-it Note!
The Power of the Humble Post-it Note was clearly shown during the ‘Have Your Say on Saturday’ event held by the PCCA recently, during which around 150 people contributed more than 500 separate comments and suggestions on the future of the Pohutukawa Coast.
The Post-it process encouraged residents to think about what changes they would like to see in the future, and about what was important to them and their living environment.
“Overall people were constructive about how the area should develop although many continue to be opposed to the current plan changes.” said Cameron Butler, PCCA Chairman.
There were some creative suggestions, such as “How about a section of the village zoned for retirement, with shared gardens for growing vegetables and communal outdoor spaces”, an idea to develop land for olives and grapes (a sort of Waiheke across the water!), and a tourism focus for the area.
Calls for a retirement village were a recurring theme when considering growth: “Can we please have a retirement home to keep our treasured elderly here?” and facilities for young people also featured when considering future planning: “A skate park, library with computing facilities, community youth centre”.
Shopping facilities was a hot topic of discussion, with 78% of the contributors against the introduction of a new shopping centre, with many expressing concerns over its’ proposed location at the roundabout.
There was also much interest in the proposed developments at Pine Harbour with 69% of contributors opposed to any residential developments there. Significant commentary was made regarding the density of proposed multi-storey apartment developments and there were concerns expressed that boat servicing should not be lost to boat owners.
Around a quarter of the Post-it notes related to transport related issues, and unsurprisingly the key concern for residents is the main Whitford-Maraetai Road, with 48% of those who commented on transport concerned around its safety. A clear message emerged across contributors that upgrades to this road should be the highest priority and addressed before any significant residential or commercial developments are contemplated in the area.
But the hottest topic of the day was that of ‘growth’ with 36% of all Post-it notes relating to this issue. Less than 2% of contributors were in favour of residential growth overall. Generally people said if there was to be growth it should be lower density, with a mix of section sizes to cater for a variety of needs, such as larger lifestyle, families, first time home owners, and units for the elderly with smaller gardens.
Lastly, the thorny issue of footpaths in Beachlands (or rather the lack of them!) raised its head again with a number of contributors asking when, if ever, the Council will finish work on footpaths around the village?
“This was a dialogue rather than a survey,” said Cameron, “but its results give the PCCA a clear direction to pursue in its engagement with our Local Board and other agencies. We would like to thank all those who ‘had their say on Saturday’, and commit to seeking the kind of future the Pohutukawa Coast residents want.”
The Post-it process encouraged residents to think about what changes they would like to see in the future, and about what was important to them and their living environment.
“Overall people were constructive about how the area should develop although many continue to be opposed to the current plan changes.” said Cameron Butler, PCCA Chairman.
There were some creative suggestions, such as “How about a section of the village zoned for retirement, with shared gardens for growing vegetables and communal outdoor spaces”, an idea to develop land for olives and grapes (a sort of Waiheke across the water!), and a tourism focus for the area.
Calls for a retirement village were a recurring theme when considering growth: “Can we please have a retirement home to keep our treasured elderly here?” and facilities for young people also featured when considering future planning: “A skate park, library with computing facilities, community youth centre”.
Shopping facilities was a hot topic of discussion, with 78% of the contributors against the introduction of a new shopping centre, with many expressing concerns over its’ proposed location at the roundabout.
There was also much interest in the proposed developments at Pine Harbour with 69% of contributors opposed to any residential developments there. Significant commentary was made regarding the density of proposed multi-storey apartment developments and there were concerns expressed that boat servicing should not be lost to boat owners.
Around a quarter of the Post-it notes related to transport related issues, and unsurprisingly the key concern for residents is the main Whitford-Maraetai Road, with 48% of those who commented on transport concerned around its safety. A clear message emerged across contributors that upgrades to this road should be the highest priority and addressed before any significant residential or commercial developments are contemplated in the area.
But the hottest topic of the day was that of ‘growth’ with 36% of all Post-it notes relating to this issue. Less than 2% of contributors were in favour of residential growth overall. Generally people said if there was to be growth it should be lower density, with a mix of section sizes to cater for a variety of needs, such as larger lifestyle, families, first time home owners, and units for the elderly with smaller gardens.
Lastly, the thorny issue of footpaths in Beachlands (or rather the lack of them!) raised its head again with a number of contributors asking when, if ever, the Council will finish work on footpaths around the village?
“This was a dialogue rather than a survey,” said Cameron, “but its results give the PCCA a clear direction to pursue in its engagement with our Local Board and other agencies. We would like to thank all those who ‘had their say on Saturday’, and commit to seeking the kind of future the Pohutukawa Coast residents want.”