Seen in a park there in 2012.  This somehow seems appropriate today.

According to an article in today’s Dominion Post:

“Kiel and Emma Moore-Jones bought their house on Te Moana Rd, Waikanae, on January 12. They moved in six days later, with plans to renovate.

“However, people living nearby warned them that same day that the home’s former residents might have smoked methamphetamine, or ‘P’.

“The shocked couple tested the house that night, which confirmed contamination.

“They moved their belongings out of the home the next day and had been staying with family ever since.

“Further tests showed the clean-up would cost about $20,000. But instead the couple plan to demolish the house, fearing it would forever be known as a “meth house”.

You feel sorry for people who find themselves in this situation, although the issue isn’t much different from that of asbestos contamination.  If there is any reason to suspect something, then the realtors should inform the prospective purchasers.

Like all occupations, there are good and bad realtors; the bad ones being those who don’t want to know about problems that might affect their sale and thus commission.

You can make a house purchase subject to an inspector’s report, but again there are good and bad home inspectors, the bad ones being those who don’t do a thorough job, or just don’t know enough about what they should be looking for.

This is another issue where we would be very interested in stories readers have.

As well as the regular Saturday morning market (photo above) at the edge of Waikanae Park, there will be an Easter market in Mahara Place.  The Waikanae Park market is usually over by 11:30 while the one in Mahara Place is to last until 2 pm, so those keen could go to both.

On Sue Lusk’s Destination Waikanae Facebook page is this pic of a mockup of the winning sign at night — which makes it look like a pipe organ.  Is what on the KCDC website initially looks like wooden construction posts in fact intended to represent denuded tree stumps?

And is it the intention to have it illuminated at night?

The winning design for new ‘Welcome to Waikanae’ signs, to be placed on SH1, has been announced, says the KCDC Website

We have to say it looks like a building site…

..

“Wes Nielsen from Paraparaumu Beach won the competition with his wooden design which incorporates features of Waikanae and the wider Kāpiti District.

“The shorter posts at the front reflect the land sloping down to Waikanae River, while the taller rear posts represent the silhouette of Kāpiti Island.

“’I liked the idea of something that could deliver the ‘Welcome’ message in a format that was more than just another roadside sign and something that bordered on sculptural,” Mr Nielsen says.

“Given I’m also a ratepayer myself, I was only really interested in developing a concept that could be constructed simply and with minimal cost. The design uses really simple materials and doesn’t require much in the way of fabrication or landscaping. I’m hoping it can stand alone as a point of interest to the average motorist, but that it will also have some local significance to those who want to look at it more carefully.”

“Judging of the 117 designs entered took place last Wednesday by Waikanae Community Board chair Eric Gregory, other board members, Mayor Ross Church, Waikanae Ward Councillor Michael Scott, Sue Lusk of Destination Waikanae and Ann-Maree Ellison of Te Ātiawa Town Centres Working Group.

“We thought the winning design really encapsulated the heart of Waikanae and will look fantastic on the roadside coming into the town,” Mr Gregory says.

“There were a lot of wonderful designs, many from school children, and it was heartening to have such a great response.”

“Work on where to next is underway.”

With two parakeets.  Nga Manu = The Birds

With ground ferns and a tree fern around our little pond in which Victoria has bathing water bubbling from a lotus flower held high.

A standard seat painted in a different colour-scheme with cards on sashes which have little thought-provoking questions.

Noticed on the Leaders website:

“This 12 ha site is now ready for the next stage. Currently in one block but resource consent has been issued for:
* Lot 1 Rural 4.47 ha
* Lot 2 Residential Section 732 sq.m
* Lot 3 A 185 sq.m House on 3820 sq.m of land (possible holding income of $20,000 PA plus)
* Lot 4 Residential Development site of 7.76 ha for between 60 and 71 sections”

Thus while a large block of land, it is a relatively small development and not one we have have any great concerns about, except that it will add around 8% to the number of households east of the railway line and thus increase the level crossing congestion.

One page of a 3-page newsletter.  It doesn’t say anything that wasn’t said last year in the proposed Long Term Plan booklet, except that the new parking lot  for railway commuters — Park and Ride — on the former Waikanae Hotel site was confirmed a few months after this process.

The condensation of the above into plain English is that they have redesigned pedestrian areas between the forthcoming Park and Ride lot, the Marae and Mahara Place.  And they also have designs for the west side of the main road which involve widening the footpath/sidewalk and (we assume) eliminating the parking spaces.

We are a little concerned about the possibility that one lane of the roadway might be eliminated, too: this should be kept for a traffic underpass to eliminate the Elizabeth Street level crossing with the railway.

They also recognise the lack of provision for pedestrians crossing the Main Road from the station to Ngaio Road, but don’t say exactly what they are doing — a pedestrian crossing without traffic lights?

On a little semantics point, why do spin doctors love using the word “solutions” as here in “design solutions” which implies there is a problem when there isn’t?  In this case they are simply producing designs.