4 Mahurangimatters March 15, 2017
localmatters.co.nz
Coming to terms We are one of the families that is directly affected by the proposed new route for the motorway from Warkworth to Wellsford. When we bought here over five years ago, we were assured that we would not be affected by the continuation of the route, so it was with dismay and disbelief that we received our letter late last month. We are coming to terms with the situation, and believe that this road must go through, however that does not assuage our grief. I wrote the following poem, as a record of the impact this has had on us ... The Stroke of a Pen In soap operas there is always a letter. It is either hidden and cannot be found or it contains some deep dark secret that will destroy the lives of the people who find it. In our case the letter arrived the Friday before the long weekend. The words indicative route and direct impact were troubling but I read on hopefully until over the page the words will cross your property were as concrete as the road that would soon smash through the lilac tree planted for Mike that hasn’t even bloomed yet, Peter’s Kowhai tree, Mary’s roses Jess’s burial place, rest her soul, the mass of native shrubs at the front of our property, like a motorway planting I used to say now in the path of the indicative route. How prophetic, or pathetic. I wondered if one day we would drive that motorway to Whangarei and say as we passed over bare countryside, We used to live there. By Susan Howard
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YO U S AY
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False facts My family is dismayed to learn that Donald Trump’s vile techniques for discrediting people has been actively adopted by Jacquie Staley of Snells Beach. Her letter to the editor (MM Mar 1) “discovered” that I was the developer of the so-called Boat House Bay development at the end of Snells Beach and stated that I was giving a false impression about the status of that project in recent publicity. That is simply not true, but perhaps it is one of these “alternative truths” that are now influencing people’s opinion in the USA. I have absolutely nothing to do with that development, and if Ms Staley had spent any time at all researching the property on the web she would have established that fact and then she would not have burst into print and attacked my reputation as she has. Mahurangi Matters is a great paper, and we as a family read every edition cover to cover. Like every other reader, we expect editor, Jannette Thompson to get the key points of the various articles correct. In this case it is inexcusable. Jannette knows me well and has all my contacts. Did she ring me to ascertain the facts? No. Why not? Perhaps because it makes good copy to take down people with a profile. Are we in NZ going to follow the appalling precedent in America and have the news sources which we rely on
support and promote false facts? As a family, the two things we truly value are our integrity and reputation. Those have now been significantly undermined in the eyes of your readers. We seek that this letter be published in full, together with apologies from you both, and confirmation that each of you has donated $1000 towards the Matakana Community initiative to provide off street parking for the Matakana Primary School.
which enabled up to 40 unit density. The Unitary Plan zone is Mixed Housing Suburban. For this site there is no density limit, only build controls. In both zones, the development is under the density limitations. The design was done by Ken Crosson architect and Boaffa Miskel landscape. Both very reputable and experienced urban designers.
Richard Didsbury and his whanau
Warkworth is being made into a satellite town. Wellsford is to get accesses both north and south allowing through traffic to detour in and out. Proposals for access to Warkworth from the motorway do not even measure up to those proposed for Wellsford. NZTA is proposing a second connection to the motorway at Warkworth but both connections will be to the north. Auckland city is to the south. For through traffic on the motorway wishing to visit Warkworth, their return to the motorway will add 5.7kms to the total trip. Warkworth needs a south facing connection near Valerie Close. It would provide access to the motorway for residents and businesses in the south. This would also complement a full interchange at Kaipara Flats Road
Apology Mahurangi Matters apologises unreservedly to the Didsbury family for printing a letter that erroneously named them as the developer of Boathouse Bay, Snells Beach. The letter was referred in full to Auckland Council for comment. Unfortunately, neither Council nor Mahurangi Matters checked the veracity of the information, i.e. the developer’s name and the density rules under which the site was being developed (see letter below) before publication. Jannette Thompson, editor.
Zoning clarification I can confirm that Richard Didsbury is not the developer of Boathouse Bay. The developer is 59 Arabella Lane Partnership. The zoning under the Rodney District Plan was Residential High Intensity,
Mat Peters, Special Projects Team
Warkworth short-changed
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