Submission on Vision Seaview Gracefield
Living Streets Lower Hutt conditionally supports the proposed Vision Seaview Gracefield. However we would like some amendments.
We are supportive of the four themes of the vision.
We are particularly supportive of Theme 1’s following key outcomes and their associated initiatives
- Enhance urban form
- Improve public transport services
While we support the initiatives linked to the outcome “Provide safer roads”, we are concerned about the wording of the outcome. The outcome is weakened by the caveat “while ensuring that the flow of commercial vehicles through the area could still function effectively”. Since there is a separate outcome to improve traffic efficiency, this caveat is unnecessary, and implies that traffic efficiency is more important than safety. We request that this caveat be removed.
We support using old rail corridors as a cycle way, but suggest it be a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.
We are particularly supportive of Theme 2’s following key outcomes and their associated initiatives
- Create an attractive location to work in
- Encourage good urban design
While we support the outcome of changing the district plan to allow for non-residential mixed use, we would suggest that this would be further enhanced by providing for an area to be developed as a social centre. The Seaview area is lacking a centre where people can go to buy their lunch, post letters and the like. A social centre would provide an area of focus for people working in the area.
We support Theme 3’s key outcomes and associated initiatives. We would suggest that hills are also added to the first item, so that connection is provided between the sea, river and stream “and hills”.
In Theme 1 you talk about telling our industrial stories. Since Theme 3 talks about the rich Tangata Whenua and settlers’ histories, we suggest adding telling our cultural stories as a new initiative, or incorporating it into an existing initiative.
We support all of Theme 4’s key outcomes and their associated initiatives.
Conclusion
Living Streets Lower Hutt appreciates the council’s commitment to making places more attractive and safe for walking. However we would like it to be clear that safer roads are not a lower priority than vehicle efficiency. We also suggest that a social centre and stories from the Tangata Whenua and cultural community will enhance the vision. We support using old rail corridors for shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.