A protest is planned for residents who oppose the construction of a fence between two businesses at Mapua Wharf.
Protest organiser Roger Griffiths told more than 30 people at a Mapua and Districts Community Association meeting last night that there was no need for the fence, which has been labelled divisive by some members of the association.
‘‘It’s only spite,’’ Griffiths said. ‘‘I don’t think it’s right.’’
He urged residents to attend the protest, scheduled for noon on Sunday at the wharf.
‘‘Come on, guys, this is kids’ stuff,’’ Griffiths said. ‘‘It’s stupidity and it’s council stupidity and I think someone should be held accountable. I’m not accepting it.’’
Tasman District Council is behind the partly constructed 1.7m-high fence that runs between its new $1.2 million Shed 4 retail complex and a business due to be opened by Adele Calteaux, the owner of the former Hamish’s icecream parlour that closed in 2015.
The lone Tasman District councillor at the meeting, deputy mayor Tim King, came out forcefully from the council corner during a lively debate but said it was like ‘‘fighting with one hand tied behind your back’’ after association chairwoman Elena Meredith blocked his line of argument.
The issue raised was about the work done to build good relationships between the community and businesses, and between council tenancies and other tenancies ‘‘and that is the only issue we have raised’’.
King said the council now had a tenant and ‘‘we’re trying to provide the tenant ... the best support we can’’.
Meredith said she did not believe a fence did that.
The fence is on hold after councillors agreed to cap all unbudgeted work following a $577,000 budget blowout, the majority of which is related to the wharf.
(The Nelson Mail, Tuesday, June 14th, 2016)
Feel like having Richard Nixon to welcome you home?
The country estate at 52 Edward St, which currently houses Katatvich’s U.S publishing business Haldeman LLC, features a private pond and 1.4 hectare parkland grounds.
On the property is ‘‘Fort Haldeman’’, a lavish 650sqm house offering ten rooms, three bathrooms, red carpets, embroidered drapes and chandelier light fittings.
Built in 2009 and modelled on the White House, its two sections are connected by an L-shaped hallway and fronted by a bronze statue of former U.S president Richard Nixon. A Trade Me listing for the estate calls it ‘‘a distinctive property of quality’’.
‘‘Potential buyers will see so many opportunities in this property. It would make a sumptuous private mansion, with attached rooms for professional practice, a boutique health care centre or other specialised accommodation.’’
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, June 15th, 2016)
Work demolishing the Trathen’s Building has started – but the building’s ornate windows will stay in Nelson after they were gifted to the provincial museum.
Trathen’s Properties Ken Trathen said the windows attracted interest when they were offered for sale last month, but the family had decided to gift them to the Nelson Provincial Museum.
‘‘We had offered it to the council and Founders and to the museum quite some time ago and no one took it up, it wasn’t like a new offer or anything,’’ he said.
‘‘So they’ve said that they would like them, they definitely would like to keep them so we’re really rapt about that.’’
A Christchurch company Southern Demolition started the demolition on the ornate Trafalgar St building last week.
Built in the early 1920s, tearooms used to occupy the firstfloor of the Trathen’s Building back when it was Trathen’s department store which was a leading Nelson retailer for 70 years. The upper levels have been untenanted for 20 years.
It was announced in August last year that a multimillion-dollar complex would be replacing the old building.
The proposed new building was expected to cost about $2.38m and would feature two restaurant-cafes with outdoor dining on the upper level, extending over the footpath. The decision came after Nelson City Council required the building to be strengthened to meet new earthquake regulations or be demolished by December 2019.
Trathen did not know what the museum would do with the windows.
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, June 15th, 2016)
The Wellington lawyer who sold an Awaroa beach now has 21 days to leave his home, after failing to fight off a multi-million dollar claim by the Bank of New Zealand.
Michael Garnham and his father-in-law Michael Spackman have been ordered to hand over a $1.6 million home in Ludlam St, Seatoun, as well as pay $1.37m, to the bank.
Garnham is understood to have lived in the house with his family. They have until July 5 to leave. Spackman lives in a retirement village in Newtown.
Earlier this year, the sale of the Awaroa beach the pair owned in Abel Tasman sparked a successful crowdfunding campaign to bring it back into Kiwi hands. But the sale did not raise enough to cover the debts BNZ claimed it was owed. The bank previously claimed it was owed $6.5m in loans from the pair and the four companies, that expired or were called up in late 2014.
Garnham and Spackman maintained they were misled into signing refinancing deals, which they believed would allow them to pay interest only on the loans and none of the principal amount. The debt was cut to $3.81m, after the bank received $2.74m from the sale of the beach.
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, June 15th, 2016)
A cluster of restaurant owners on upper Hardy St want the moratorium on outdoor dining spaces lifted in central Nelson.
Urban Oyster Bar and Eatery owner Matthew Bouterey wants the Nelson City Council to consider allowing eateries to use public car parking spaces for outdoor dining particularly during the summer months.
Bouterey said if two parking spaces in front of Hardy St’s Urban Oyster Bar, Sprig and Fern and La Gourmandise were chained-off to make an outdoor dining area it would lift the top end of the street.
Other businesses in the Nelson region had previously changed public parking spaces into dining zones. He wanted the same chance to make the public street-scape more aesthetically pleasing.
‘‘It’s mainly to do with certain times of the year when Hardy St misses out on a lot of stuff,’’ he said. ‘‘We want the opportunity – to be on the same foothold as other hospitality and other businesses as well. ‘‘We want outdoor dining to make it like a European setting where restaurants and bars line up beside each other catering for all different types of clientele.’’
Bouterey, who has the support of his neighbouring businesses, the Sprig and Fern and La Gourmandise, was to speak at the public forum at today’s council meeting.
The council was to discuss the benefits of revoking the moratorium against the loss of the parking spaces at the meeting.
The moratorium on the exclusive use of public car parking spaces for commercial activity was introduced in 2003 following a series of application requests.
Outdoor dining spaces in the Nelson CBD are on the lower ends of Hardy and Trafalgar streets and the top end of Bridge and Church streets.
There are currently 13 active licences for outdoor dining which occupy 21 car parking spaces. Alton Fish Shop has a temporary licence which expires in November.
Bouterey said the two car parks out the front of his business would not be a big loss to the CBD but would make a huge difference to the three businesses if changed to a dining area.
‘‘As a business we’re trying to maximise what we do and to do something a bit different as well as tidy up the end of Hardy St.’’
He said it would also help lift other businesses by attracting more people and if accepted would carry on to expand the arm of public events such as annual fairs.
(The Nelson Mail, Thursday, June 16th, 2016)
The appetites of restaurant owners for more outdoor dining space in the central city have been satisfied.
The Nelson City Council has revoked restrictions to allow eateries to apply for licences to use public car parking spaces for outdoor dining in the central business district.
Urban Oyster Bar and Eatery owner Matthew Bouterey spoke at the council’s public forum yesterday about the benefits the move would have to businesses at the top end of Hardy St.
Bouterey said the decision was ‘‘sweet’’ and he would go ahead to apply for a licence as soon as possible.
‘‘It’s just awesome. If we can make it happen for the summer period it would be fantastic,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s what it’s all about. It’s what they all do in Europe and why not start a trend here in Nelson? It’s absolutely great.’’
Cr Matt Lawrey said he wanted to see more businesses utilising the streetscape to add ‘‘vibrancy’’ to the CBD.
Cr Kate Fulton said there had been no opportunity for businesses to create the type of cities they wanted with a moratorium in place. She recommended licensees of outdoor dining spaces were encouraged to make those spaces smoke-free. Community partnerships advisor Gabrielle Thorpe said the cost to the council of removing outdoor dining spaces if a business shut unexpectedly had been revised to $1500, down from the original $2500 quote.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, June 17th, 2016)
A fourth generation fisherman and his wife have realised a dream after opening a seafood outlet in central Nelson.
Andy and Simone Kenton opened Tasman Seafoods this week in the Marble Arch Arcade in premises formerly occupied by Phillippe’s butchery.
‘‘It has been a dream and it’s been something that we’ve been talking about for the last 10 years. It’s just been the right time, right opportunity and we finally got there,’’ Simone said.
Andy is a fourth generation fisherman, having moved up from Timaru 16 years ago to fish in Nelson. He has been supplying fish to auctions for Silverspray Fishing and will continue that venture along with the shop.
He fishes all over New Zealand, predominantly on the west coasts of both islands. As well as supplying the Nelson market he sells fish to Wellington and Auckland.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, June 17th, 2016)
After speculation over the large construction site on the corner of Washington Rd and St Vincent St signage has revealed a new shop for the city. Supercheap Auto will be take residence on the corner site, meaning there will be two stores in the Nelson region, the other being in Stoke.
It is understood the store manager from Stoke will also be handling the new Nelson store.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, June 18th, 2016)
After three years in business, the owners of Paula’s Plate cafe have decided not to renew their lease.
The shop is owned by sisters Jo and Paula Kilkelly, Paula was the runner up in Masterchef New Zealand in 2013.
The cafe was put on the market at the end of May last year. At the time Jo said family commitments had forced the sale. Yesterday was the last day of trading for the cafe, with farewell drinks and nibbles put on to thank customers and say goodbye.
Previous to being Paula’s Plate, the premises was a Pomeroy’s.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, June 18th, 2016)
Trafalgar Centre designs have been updated to accommodate for a new roof.
Previous plans to build a new roof over the top of the existing one have been scrapped after maintenance and loading concerns.
Nelson City Council was told the updated plan would be available in about three weeks and planned not to go over budget.
Project officer Richard Kirby said if the original plan was kept the roof may be compromised with added loading such as SKY TV lighting.
He said the current roof was corroded and in the long-term would be counter-productive in terms of ongoing maintenance.
‘‘That’s what we’re trying to address. It might be better to replace it with a completely new roof so any future maintenance – you don’t have to deal with two skins. So that’s actually becoming more of a critical thing than the other,’’ he said.
Before the building’s closure it only met a 20-25 per cent New Building Standard (NBS), however it was found with the added loading that number was most likely pushed down to about 15 per cent.
The extra loading and its per cent impact on the NBS aims to be addressed at the next council meeting on June 30.
Kirby said a rough guess at this stage may lower the NBS to 60 per cent.
‘‘Council is eagerly required to go to 34 per cent but it’s chosen 67 per cent because of its wider obligations in terms of the health and safety employment act of members of the public during the earthquake events,’’ Kirby said.
‘‘Whether it’s 67 per cent or whether it’s 60 per cent is acceptable.’’
Some of the factors which will be accounted for include the permanency of added equipment on the roof.
‘‘If it’s permanent obviously it’s a pretty critical issue in terms of the strength of the roof and the loading. But if it’s going up once a year or once every two years or something like that then it is treated as what is a live load and so the factors can change slightly.’’
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, June 18th, 2016)
“A place for everything,
everything in its place.”
Benjamin Franklin