Ring Road Scheme At Otangarei Block

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1948, Page 4

Ring Road Scheme At Otangarei Block

NEW SUBURBAN LAY-OUT

WHANGAREI is to have a suburb embodying a new principle in the lay-out of housing estates. . It will be the first of its kind in New Zealand, the mam feature being a ring road on the perimeter from which will branch minor streets of a purely residential character, m loops and cul de SaCS> Most of the community activities, including shops, will be located in a central reserve.

The site of this new state housing development in one of the most flourishing towns of the Dominion lithe Otangarei Block of 150 acres on the northern fringe of the existing suburbs in the Kensington area in t pleasant setting of undulating grassland, dotted with native trees. The area which has been surveyed, embraces most of the remaining vacant land within the limits of the Whangarei Borough boundary and meets the Mt. Denby golf links to the north-east. ROAD WORK SOON

Construction of roads will begin spon, and the foundations of the fusi houses, of which there will be some 500, housing 2000 people, are expeciet to be laid early in the new. year. in conformity with Housing Construction Division policy provision oi faclities within the community centre will be left to the borough council and local residents. They will probably include, beside shops, a school, hall, Plunket rooms dental clinic and a library. The central reserve will cover five acres and will be linked by parkways (wide tree-lined and lawned drives! to the ring road and to the main reserve of some 16 acres adjoining the golf links. Here there will be ample provision for football fields, tennis courts and bowling greens. This “spider web” pattern gives free circulation to traffic, yet provides quiet residential streets which' will be little used by vehicles. Pedestrian cross connections in every direction will mean that people can walk to the community centre, school and other amenities through ideal surroundings, undisturbed by noisy and dangerous traffic. HEAVY DEMAND Applications for state houses in Whangarei are proportionately among the greatest of any centre in the Dominion, so the town is entitled to a big development scheme, instead of piecemeal land purchases. The Housing Division deemed it advisable to buy a large block, allowing for long-term planning. The Otangarei Block should meet Whangarei’s state housing needs for at least 10 years. It is only roughly two miles from the centre of the town, enabling' excellent access by means 'of fast bus services. The only other town at the moment where a ring road scheme will be introduced is Hamilton.

Here, however, proposed Fairfield developments will make use of existing roads on the boundaries of the area to be built on.