This was held in the Boating Club on the beachfront last night.  It was fairly clear from comments heard that most attending wanted the general beach area to retain its present minimal commercial appearance and feel.

What property developers see is that with not only the present Sandhills Expressway construction, but also the Transmission Gully Expressway which has been on the plans for a long time, Waikanae will be only a short drive in terms of time from Wellington and that the general beach area will boom as a weekend retreat for city ‘yuppies’, who will want nightlife, shops, etc.

There were a significant number of comments expressing concern about the height of buildings that overlook the beach.  At present council policy allows buildings up to 8 metres — the height of a two-story house — without a resource consent.  People don’t want resource consents issued for buildings more than that.

According to Michael Scott, fast food burger joints won’t be able to build near the off/on ramps.  He says a council policy will be developed over the coming months and referred back to the community.