Landscaping move by Papanui Rotary

Press, 16 July 1982, Page 4

Landscaping move by Papanui Rotary

The Rotary Club of Papanui is interested in landscaping the piece of land at the intersection of Greers, Northcote, and Sawyers Arms Roads, local residents and councillors were told last evening. At a public meeting to discuss the future of the ' land. Mr R. A. Proctor, representing the club said that it had expressed an interest in taking on the reserve as a project next year. The 740 sq m piece of land resulted from the redesigning of the intersection and a council decision had been made to sell the land as a residential section. Local residents disagreed with the decision and petitioned the council, a move which resulted in the public meeting last evening. The County Engineer, Mr A. J. W. Lamb, told the

residents that the section could be sold by the council for between $lO,OOO and $12,500. "If it is retained, one account of the council has to get money from the reserves fund,” Mr Lamb said. As well as this reimbursement, the section would cost about $6OOO to develop and $lOOO annually to maintain. This cost could be compared with an annual maintenance cost of $5OO if the area was sold as a residential section, he said. Mr Proctor, who also represented the Christchurch Beautifying Association and the Canterbury Horticultural Society, said that he had not been aware that the council had already drawn up a landscape plan for the area. He said that the Rotary Club would like a cost estimate of the landscaping if a decision

to form a reserve was made. He said that his group's expression of interest was not a commitment to complete the project at this stage, although Rotary members would be prepared to consult the council on the matter of supplying labour and shrubs. After discussion on the future of the land, Crs M. E. Murray, I. Calvert, M. P. Hobby, and W. T. Rice agreed to take residents’ views back to the council's works, reserves, and traffic committee. Traffic at the intersection is also a concern to residents who say that motorists speed through the area and generally disregard the “give way” signs. Mr Lamb said he > would ask the traffic engineer to report on the intersection to the next committee meeting.