Manoy-Talbot walkway link to be constructed

June 24th, 2015
[by David Armstrong]

After years of negotiations and argument, a walkway link between Manoy Street and Talbot Street will be constructed by the end of August.

The path, which will run alongside the eastern boundary of the Sports Park rugby fields and parallel to High Street, will be 2 metres wide and filled with 100 mm depth of crusher dust, flush with the existing grass surface.

The breakthrough to enable this to happen was mainly thanks to negotiations carried out by Cr Barry Dowler, who told the Motueka Community Board last night that he had to go to the Minister of Education to get it sorted out.

The final piece of the jigsaw fell into place after access issues were sorted out with the new play centre which is being constructed at the back of the Parklands School playground.

Councillor Dowler had obtained three quotes from local contractors, with the best quote coming from CJ Industries. The price of $4,000 plus GST will be paid for out of the Community Board "special projects" fund.

Some Board members were concerned that the construction of this new path will push further into the future hopes for a connecting road between Manoy Street and Talbot Street, which would allow more car parking on the west side of high Street. However, this remains a potential project for the future regardless.

In the meantime, this properly formed path will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists on the west side of High Street to travel north and south without having to negotiate the central CBD.

Work on the 151m-long path is planned to commence in the next few weeks. The Board said after that the next job should be to connect that walkway to the Whitwells car park, running behind the new play centre, making that an official walkway into the centre of town from the west.

Comment by Malcolm Garrett:
[Posted 29 June 2015]

Thanks to Barry for his work on this. I am a little disappointed that it will not be a sealed footpath, and will quickly deteriorate unless the compaction of the crusher dust is carried out properly.

Heaps of kids and parents, plus older folk taking a trip to the library and SeniorNet etc, use this muddy track - avoid in winter if at all possible - and heaps of cars line up on the grassy area facing the SportsPark boundary netting on weekends in the Winter - adding to the mud and slush ground into the Manoy Street paved road.

Some of this mess gets carted as far as Whakarewa St! Worst culprits are the big 4WD off-roaders - a little less than tractor tyres on them! Good in Summer though! Nevertheless, a good step forward, thanks folks!

Comment by Paul Hawkes, Chairman, Motueka Community Board:
[Posted 6 July 2015]

May I make a small comment in regards to Malcolm Garrett's comment thanking Barry and expressing his disappointment that the walkway was not to be of a more robust surface construction?

The reason for the "crusher dust" surface, is initially to see the walkway completed, not entirely financial. We are still seeking the access way to be developed into the formed road link that it was initially intended for. The Board sees this a vital road link, even for one-way traffic, allowing for more off-street parking on the western side of the main street, thus alleviating some congestion on High Street, something we think will add to safety.

With this in mind, should we create a fully formed hard seal access way now, when this road link is developed, all of the underground amenities required would have to be under the already formed pathway, meaning it would have to be dug up for placement. It makes sense to have a soft surface initially, to minimise cost "wastage".

Please rest assured, as a Board we wish to continue to advocate for at least a one-way vehicle access way for this vital link as well as maintain the important pedestrian/cycle access way.

Just in passing, it was duly noted, during discussions about the funding of this walkway, that with its completion, there will be a full pedestrian access/cycle way on the western side of town, fully linking Whakarewa Street through to Parker Street, with the recently completed Poole Street to Eginton Street walkway.

The next focus the Board wishes to include for public views is the inclusion of a formed pedestrian/cycle walkway link between High street and the new Talbot Street walkway/cycle link, allowing adequate access to High Street from the western side of town.

Hopefully this makes sense and is of some reassurance. It's just making sensible use both money and resources

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