“Put it in your diaries now. It is going to be a family friendly evening, with something for everyone.” According to their Facebook page, it includes performers and entry is free.

We noticed that the Waikanae Community Patrol was looking for a garage for its vehicle, so here’s an example of one that would require a lot less space — as used by the Portland Patrol in Oregon; clean and green, although perhaps a little inadequate if the need arose to chase a crim?

Unlike the Waikanae Community Patrol which is voluntary, the Portland Patrol is a business, but employed by the city as well as by businesses.  The building in the background is the Greyhound bus station which is used by homeless as a place to hang out (a man can be seen sleeping there by the second column in the pic.)

Info from the Portland Patrol website: “Portland Patrol Inc. (PPI) is a private security company providing armed and unarmed security for both public and private organizations in Oregon.  Working closely with the Portland Police Bureau, PPI employees help to ensure the safety and security of individuals, businesses, and property in the downtown area.

“Some of PPI clients include: The Portland Business Alliance, City of Portland Parks, Smart Park Parking Garages, Portland Public Schools, Portland Mall Management and the City of Hillsboro.

“PPI serves as the “Safe” side of the Portland Business Alliance’s Downtown Clean & Safe Program that provides security and cleaning for Portland’s Business Improvement District (BID). PPI is committed to ensuring that all visitors to the BID have a safe and positive experience in our wonderful city.”

This refers to adding a second crossing of the railway line in the event that the Elizabeth Street crossing experiences a lengthy blockage.

“Let’s help our local Waikanae Councillor get an idea of the importance of this issue to residents on the eastern side of Waikanae railway.”

Here

Mahara Place in Waikanae isn’t the only public area which needs a makeover: Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles also needs it; an L.A. Times article below.  We particularly note the need to reintroduce grassy areas, which was what we said Mahara Place needs in our submission to the KCDC on last year’s annual plan.

“A team led by Agence Ter, a French landscape architecture firm that is prolific in Europe but barely known in this country, was named the winner Thursday in competition organized by Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and a nonprofit group called Pershing Square Renew.

“The winning design focuses on opening the park directly to the sidewalks around it, replacing concrete with grass and providing extensive new pockets of shade. It is very much a reaction to, if not an outright apology for, the visual clutter of present-day Pershing Square, which remains a conspicuous dead space in an otherwise revived and money-soaked downtown.

“One of L.A.’s oldest public spaces, Pershing Square suffered the indignity of having its trees and grass torn out so that a parking garage could be sunk beneath it in 1951. In 1994, after an earlier design competition fizzled, Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and landscape architect Laurie Olin were hired to redesign the square again; along with bright color and a good deal of hardscape, they added walls and towers to the existing parking ramps along the perimeter, redoubling the sense that the park was cut off from the life of the surrounding city.

“The Agence Ter proposal, which beat out entries from three finalists, aims to solve those problems by relying on what Henri Bava, one of the firm’s founders, describes as a “radical flatness.”

full story

We would be interested in readers’ views on these remarks.

(Sent to Blanche Charles)

“Thank you for your email.  The fact that we keep the matter front and centre means it is an important issue for the Community Board.

“There have been a number of potential sites put up for consideration.  On their detailed examination they have been found to not be viable.  Transrail [presumably he means KiwiRail, the owners since 2007] guard their rail corridor very carefully and are thus reluctant to allow other crossings of the railway line, even for an emergency.  The fact there is a paper road at the End of Huia Street does not give us the right to cross the rail corridor.

“There was an underpass on the agenda for some years.  It as part of a planned process for connectivity promoted by the WCB.  It was taken off the priority list by an earlier council, something I was not responsible for.  The cost then was 27 million dollars.  That price will not have diminished over time. Practically there is no money for an underpass. With the construction of the Expressway, the connectivity imperative has been lost.

“I am going to continue to work with our council staff to see if we can find an alternative emergency access across the rail corridor.  Certainly I want to see an emergency alternative as soon as possible so I appreciate your concern Blanche, but a less aggressive presentation would be appropriate in the future.

Regards
Michael Scott
Waikanae Ward Councillor”

Blanche Charles’s comment:
My “presentation” was deemed “aggressive” because I quoted three meetings with the resulting “Emergency Rail Crossing – Cr M Scott would discuss further with Council and report back when further information is available” and said that it was a joke, that his ratepayers deserve better than this and that we needed some action on the matter.

At this stage we need to find out what the plans were for the $27 million underpass construction referred to and establish how much of this related to an upgraded SH1 through Waikanae, which has since been replaced by the distant Expressway.  This figure was probably based on designs and costings made by the central government roading authority and involved more elaborate provisions that would be needed for a local road.

One thing which is clear, however, is that Michael Scott agrees with the council having taken it off the project list.

This is the more picturesque of the two Anglican Churches, although clearly the smaller, located where the Akatawara Road meets Reikorangi Road..

From Sue Lusk’s DW webpage:

“Caylin Morgan from Paraparaumu College has asked us to tell you about a fund-raiser they are having at the Shoreline Cinema Waikanae on 26 May at 7.30 p.m.

“They are raising funds for two blood pressure machines for the Wellington Children’s Hospital and would love your support – tickets to the action thriller “Eye in the Sky” (Helen Mirren is brilliant in this) are $20 and include snacks and spot prizes.

“Cara Andres is the contact person for the tickets – email her on cara-sophia_andres@paraparaumucollege.school.nz – it’s a great cause, and a great movie, so if you’ve been thinking “must go and see it” make this your opportunity to do so.”

A photo from 1902 of this well-known feature of Elizabeth Street.  According to the KCDC site: “In 1877, Wi Parata Te Kakakura, a paramount Chief, built St. Luke’s Church at Tuku Rākau, on Te Moana Road, near Greenaway Road in Waikanae. The Wellington and Manawatu railway line changed the focus of village life in Waikanae and by 1886 most activity was centered alongside the railway station. In 1898 the church was moved to its present site. By this time Tuku Rākau was almost deserted. The church was consecrated by Bishop Wallis in 1906. Up to that time, services were mostly conducted by lay people, frequently in Māori. In 1914, work began on building a hall.

“The stone wall and gates were erected in 1958 as part of the centenary of the Wellington Diocese. Three memorial trees were planted – a kauri for Bishop Abraham, First Bishop of Wellington, a puriri for Bishop Wallis, and a totara for Bishop Hadfield [these trees are now on the heritage register]. Major extensions to the church took place in 1977 and 1985. Parts of the original church have been incorporated in the present structure, in particular, the bell-tower. Windows in the sanctuary depict Wiremu Parata and Octavius Hadfield. Wiremu Parata lies with his family on the north side of the church.”

a painting by the late Rita Angus, based apparently on the above photo.

According to Sue Lusk, the Kapiti representative on the Greater Wellington Regional Council — Nigel Wilson — has informed the WCB that the latest review of train and bus services to Kapiti has resulted in, among other things, the intention to add a direct bus in Waikanae between the beachfront road (Tutere Street) and the station, presumably one which heads solely along Te Moana Road, while the route of the existing bus will be expanded to include a loop up Seddon Street and back down Winara Avenue on the east side of the railway line.

The former was a proposal of the late Waikanae ward councillor Tony Lloyd, while the latter was a proposal that we pushed during last year’s by-elections.

There is no mention, however, of a supplementary diesel railcar service between Waikanae and Palmerston North, which we also pushed for.

This track, for which an entrance is at the end of the Mangaone South Road, follows an old bush tramway and the boiler is a relic from that era.  Department of Conservation factsheet (pdf)