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Hill St funded
Work on the new-look Hill Street could start as early as next year.
A major upgrade to the troubled Hill Street intersection now looks certain after Auckland Council’s Planning Committee confirmed funding for it last week.
The Planning Committee overwhelmingly voted for a revised Regional Land Transport Plan, which included $4.7 million to fix Hill Street.
The funding was due to be confirmed by the Auckland Transport (AT) board this week, but Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers said this was essentially a rubber-stamping exercise.
The $4.7 million represents only one quarter of the cost of fixing Hill Street, the remainder of the money will have to come from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).
Auckland Council’s planning committee is expected to look at the implications of the Government’s policy statement at a meeting on Thursday. But the council appears keen to create an exemption for “special character areas” so they can maintain their existing zoning, which often only allows a single house of up to two storeys.
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Buildings of up to six storeys, such as the Daisy apartment building in Mt Eden, will be allowed across large parts of Auckland under a new Government plan. “This ensures a balance between preserving Auckland’s character housing with the Government’s strong direction to create more opportunities for homes to be built in these areas to provide better access for people to jobs, community services and other amenities,” the council said in a statement.
Corles-Davis, who has lived in the street for 15 years, said she was asked on Sunday by a property developer if she wanted to sell her home. “I was so angry. They have been in the area trying to get business and it is not on. This is the worst street in Papatoetoe right now,” she said. Corles-Davis said she told one of the developers in no uncertain terms what he could do with his offer. “I was so angry, I swore at him. I told my neighbour if I was a foot taller I would have punched him.” She said selling her home is the last thing on her mind and she is still trying to get her head around what happened.
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