Golfers still teed off about housing
Plans for a prestigious Palmerston North subdivision are still in the rough as the neighbouring Manawatu¯ Golf Club continues to block the development.
The golf club remains against the proposal for upmarket housing amid uncertainty about details for redesigning parts of the course and other concerns relating to reducing risks from stray golf balls.
Owner of the former Massey University Hokowhitu campus, Wallace Development Ltd, wants the land rezoned so it can create sections for up to 130 new houses between Centennial Drive and the Manawatu¯ River.
Despite negotiations appearing to go well, the golf club’s continuing objections mean a hearing on the subject will have to resume next month.
In December, golf club members packed out the Palmerston North City Council where resource management commissioners were hearing the case for the proposed rezoning. Club lawyer John Maassen described the proposal as so flawed it should be thrown out.
The club was worried people living next to the golf course would complain about stray golf balls creating a danger in their backyards, would want trees trimmed to let the sunlight in, and would object to other golf course activities.
The commissioners sent the parties away to have more discussions, but now, despite the council planners believing agreement had been reached, the golf club is still objecting. In a clutch of papers lodged with the hearing panel, the Manawatu¯ Golf Club’s general manager Warren Collett said progress had been made, but not enough.
He said provisions recommended by planners were ‘‘very close’’ to being acceptable. But the club wanted ‘‘complementary measures’’ alongside the protections of the proposed District Plan rules.
Those steps included barriers next to a couple of tees to stop errant golf balls rocketing into backyards, potentially redesigning a couple of fairways to make stray shots less likely, agreements about retaining trees, and covenants restricting future homeowners from complaining.
Without having those extra measures tied down, the club would want tighter controls included in the rezoning rules.
Wallace Development office manager Vanessa Thompson said the club’s comments were ‘‘very disappointing’’.
She said the company had gone to ‘‘great lengths’’ to resolve differences with the golf club.
‘‘Given that the Manawatu¯ Golf Club has been responsible for delays in progressing these matters, it is highly inappropriate to further delay the plan change decision.’’
City council planner Michael Duindam said he was ‘‘surprised’’ by the golf club’s final stance.
Duindam said he included provisions he considered more than necessary to accommodate the club’s concerns about minimum lot sizes on the boundary, and requiring outdoor courtyards to be covered so golf balls were less likely to hit people on the head.
Council lawyer Nicholas Jessen said the club’s position was confusing.