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Council
26 September 2017
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Reports
Warehouse Precinct – Stage III/IV final
design
Department: Planning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report presents for Council’s approval, as requested by the Planning and
Environment Committee in August 2017, the final design for Stage III/IV of
Warehouse Precinct upgrades. This final approval was requested by the Planning
and Environment Committee on 15 August when they considered community
engagement and design development for the implementation of remaining stages of
the Warehouse Precinct. Council is asked to approve the final design, so that a
safety audit can be commissioned to inform the tendering of detailed design,
with tendering for construction to follow soon thereafter. Council’s
approval also will enable community feedback to be gathered for the refinement
of parking plan details.
2 In 2013,
the Warehouse Precinct Revitalisation Plan was approved, and work began to
progress the Concept Plan into detailed design and implementation phases.
Significant community engagement and feedback has informed design development,
including further feedback since August 2017 (particularly in regard to the
incorporation of colour, the ‘boldness’ of shared space design, and
the adequacy of parking provisions).
3 The Council
is asked to approve the final design and advised of next steps: (1) undertake a
safety audit, (2) tender for detailed design and construction, (3) refine
parking plan details from stakeholder feedback, (4) progress steps toward
Laneway development, (5) update stakeholders and the wider public on Warehouse
Precinct upgrades, and (6) proceed with further funding request through Long
Term Plan.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Council:
a) Approves the
proposed final Warehouse Precinct Stage III/IV design for a safety audit,
tendering and refinement of parking plan details.
b) Notes that, while the design proposed here is fully
funded, additional funding for specific elements of the Warehouse Precinct
upgrades is to be included in the Long Term Plan 2018.
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BACKGROUND
4 This
report follows up on a report to the Planning and Environment Committee on 15
August 2017, which discussed recent community engagement and design
development, as well as a plan for packaging together Stages III and IV to
finalise implementation of the bulk of the remaining Warehouse Precinct
upgrades in 2017/18.
5 The
Planning and Environment Committee passed the following resolution on 15 August
2017:
“Moved
(Cr David Benson-Pope/Cr Kate Wilson):
That
the Committee:
a) Approves the proposed
Warehouse Precinct Stage III/IV design subject to final Council approval.
b) Notes the potential benefits to be
gained by allocating additional budget for Warehouse
c) Agrees that the precinct
upgrades be included in the Long Term Plan for further consideration.
Division
That the Committee votes by division.
For: Crs Christine Garey, Doug Hall, Aaron Hawkins,
Marie Laufiso, Mike Lord, Jim O'Malley, Conrad Stedman, Lee Vandervis, Andrew
Whiley, David Benson-Pope and Kate Wilson (11).
Against: Nil
The division was declared CARRIED by 11 votes to 0
Motion
carried (PLA/2017/014)”
6 Stage
III/IV Warehouse Precinct upgrades are currently funded in the Citywide
Amenities Upgrade budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19 (with all but $134k of that
funding allocated for use in 2017/18). Work is poised to commence pending
Council’s approval of this design, and can be completed within 2017/18.
7 Further
funding ($1.25m) is being sought through the LTP 2019-2029, specifically for
the following items:
· Upgrade
of shared space weaving patterns from resin-based surface to more enduring
pavers
· Design
and installation of heritage window displays (with Toitu staff and John
Wickliffe building owner) to ‘activate’ urban edges of shared space
· Upgrade
of asphalt footpath surfaces to pavers (e.g., along Vogel St in-between kerb
build-outs)
· Extension
of Bond St Laneway upgrades to the southern end
· Improved
pedestrian crossings (including kerb build-outs) where needed (e.g., southern
end of Bond Street)
· More
street furniture (benches, bins, drinking fountain, etc.) and lighting where
needed
DISCUSSION
Feedback
and design development
8 The
proposed final design has incorporated further feedback from:
· the
Planning and Environment Committee meeting (15 August 2017);
· a
re-consideration of public feedback (including that from Generation Zero) in
relation to key points made by Council at the Committee meeting;
· targeted
engagement with disabilities stakeholders through a Disabilities Issues
Advisory Group meeting (18 August 2017);
· DPA/CCS
DA Joint Forum on Accessible Transport (1 September 2017); and
· a
hosted talk / question and answer session by David Lepofsky, a Canadian lawyer
and disability advocate (8 September 2017).
9 Key
points made at the 15 August Planning and Environment Committee meeting have
focused a re-consideration of public feedback (including that from Generation
Zero) and disabilities stakeholder feedback, particularly in regard to the
following items (see revised drawings in Attachment A):
a) Incorporation
of colour
· Different
warm-coloured pavers to be integrated with existing Vogel Street firth paving
and historic bluestone; resin surfaces to be used at Bond and Water shared
space to achieve vibrant weaving pattern. (NOTE: Resin surfaces can be
upgraded at a later date to different coloured pavers if future funding becomes
available.)
· Variety
of native plant species (excluding standard street trees) with different
coloured flax and some flowering species.
· Macrocarpa
plank benches to complement existing Vogel Street seating; warm lighting with
artistic projections.
· Heavily
patterned surfaces can be challenging for the visually impaired; thus, weaving
patterns will be achieved through a series of low-contrast colours; high
contrast will be used only when there is a change in height (e.g., kerb edges
and intersections with tactile strips).
b) A
‘bolder’ shared space design
· On
the sunny (eastern) side of Bond Street, car parks removed to make way for a
series of ‘zig-zag’ garden areas with new trees, seating, cycle
stands and an accessible water fountain.
· Raised
pedestrian crossings (at level of sidewalk) proposed at the intersections of
Bond/Rattray and Water/Princes, to further slow traffic and give pedestrians a
higher degree of priority and visibility where the shared space borders busy
vehicular environments.
· Street
furniture used to encourage pedestrian use of space (especially on eastern side
of Bond Street).
· Weaving
pattern revised to show continuous treatment across road surface and sidewalk
areas (whereas initial design proposal showed two different patterns on these
surfaces).
· Kerb
build-outs at Bond and Water Streets intersection have been minimised to
strengthen ‘reading’ of shared space; however, kerbs have been left
in otherwise due to feedback from disabilities stakeholders and due to
budgetary constraints. If future funding becomes available and resin surfaces
are upgraded to pavers at a later date, necessity of kerbs may be re-thought
(depending on what is learned from monitoring of spatial uses).
· DCC’s
Safety Team Leader has advised that some angled parks are acceptable because of
the slow-speed environment otherwise designed. For particular occasions, the
shared space can be closed off to vehicular traffic altogether and these parks
can ‘disappear’ to enable a larger area for alternative uses.
· As
noted above, the design has been altered (including strategic locating of more
street furniture) so as to encourage more alternative uses while still allowing
slow vehicular movement and some parking.
c) Adequate
provision of parking
· Parking
is being looked at holistically and balanced as a priority with other needs. In
this revised design, 19 car parks are lost in the shared space; nevertheless,
angled parking is proposed further south on Bond Street, resulting in a net
loss of only 6 car parks in the overall area. Stakeholders will be consulted
before the parking plan is finalised.
· Four
dedicated mobility loading parks have been proposed in the overall area (two in
the shared space design). These mobility parks are designed for parallel access
with flush kerbs (for ease of wheelchair loading / unloading) and tactile
strips (for those with visual impairments). Stakeholders will be consulted
before the parking plan is finalised.
10 The proposed final
design for Stage III/IV Warehouse Precinct upgrades is included here
(Attachment A) for the Council’s consideration and approval.
Safety
audit
11 To inform tendering
of detailed design and construction, an independent (third party) safety audit
will be commissioned (to ensure a safe design for all users including
pedestrians, cyclists and motorists). A similar safety audit was undertaken for
Jetty Street works and resulted in only minor revisions to the design prior to
detailed design and construction. Feedback from DCC’s Safety Team Leader
has been positive and incorporated into the design; an audit will ensure that
any further considerations are incorporated into the detailed design.
Parking
plan details
12 While the tendering
of works is underway, proposed parking changes in the area will be released for
stakeholder feedback to refine the number, location and parking time limits. If
the final design for Stage III/IV upgrades proposed here is approved by
Council, then the removal of car parks from the eastern side of Bond Street in
the shared space area will not be negotiable with the public (since tendering
for detailed design will necessarily include the kerb build-outs, planting
areas and street furniture placement here). Finalisation of numbers, locations
and parking times elsewhere in the area will take into account stakeholder
feedback.
Laneway
development
13 Targeted discussions
with Laneway stakeholders (building owners, businesses and residents along Bond
and Princes Streets, between Police and Jetty Streets) will also commence once
tendering is underway, mostly to finalise ground levels, paving choice and
lighting needs in this area. Laneway development will focus on re-surfacing,
new paving, and the installation of cabling to support future lighting schemes.
14 The Laneway is
currently in private ownership. The Laneway’s northern end is under sole
ownership of a stakeholder strongly supportive of the Laneway concept, whereas
the southern end is jointly owned across multiple neighbouring properties.
Staff are liaising with the owner of the Laneway’s northern end.
Tendering of works initially will exclude upgrades to the Laneway; these
upgrades will be added on to the tender package only once a final design and
satisfactory legal arrangements are signed off by Council in a subsequent
report.
Further
considerations on the proposed final design
15 As noted above, the
safety audit may result in some minor ‘fine-tuning’ of this design,
but as with Jetty Street no significant changes are anticipated from this step.
Stakeholder feedback on proposed parking changes will inform the finalisation
of car park numbers, locations and parking times, but will not affect works
being tendered for construction. Laneway stakeholder engagement and
professional advice will inform any legal arrangements, final ground levels,
paving choices and lighting provisions specified for this aspect of the
development, and will be put to Council in a subsequent report.
16 Notwithstanding
these items, the final design put forward for Council’s consideration and
approval has been honed and developed in relation to stakeholder, community and
the Council’s feedback, and is consistent with other strategies and
plans. It helps to distil Council’s overall strategic framework into a
place-based design that builds on and further encourages positive momentum in
an area with historic significance.
OPTIONS
17 This report follows
up on a 15 August 2017 report presented to the Planning and Environment
Committee in which options were considered. This report provides a final design
as requested by the Committee and therefore no options are presented.
NEXT STEPS
18 Should Council
approve the proposed final Warehouse Precinct Stage III/IV design, relevant
staff within the project delivery team will undertake the following activities
in this order:
· September
2017: Undertake an independent (third party) safety audit (to ensure a safe
design for all users including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists).
· October
2017: Commence the tender process for detailed design and construction in
line with the concept plans presented here (Attachment A). Note that detailed
design will be informed by the safety audit and by best practice accessibility
standards.
· October
2017: Release the proposed parking plan for stakeholder feedback
(Attachment B).
· November
2017: Finalise details of parking plan from feedback and update
stakeholders.
· October-November
2017: Engage with Laneway stakeholders and seek legal advice to prepare
final Laneway design and satisfactory legal arrangements. These will be
presented for Council’s consideration and approval in a subsequent
report.
· December
2017: Update Warehouse Precinct stakeholders and the wider public on these
upgrades.
· December
2017: Proceed with next steps to seek further funding through the Long Term
Plan.
Signatories
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Author:
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Crystal Filep - Team Leader Urban Design
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Authoriser:
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Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning
Sandy Graham - General Manager Strategy and Governance
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Attachments
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Title
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Page
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a
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Warehouse Precinct
Stage III/IV final design
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43
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b
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Proposed on-street
parking changes (for stakeholder feedback)
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53
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose
of Local Government
This proposal enables democratic local decision making and
action by, and on behalf of communities.
This proposal relates to providing local infrastructure
and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.
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Fit with strategic
framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Economic Development Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Environment Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Integrated Transport Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Parks and Recreation Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Other strategic projects/policies/plans
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☒
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☐
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☐
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The proposed final design for implementing Stage III/IV of
the Warehouse Precinct Revitalisation Plan is consistent with other
strategies and plans. It helps to distil Council’s overall strategic framework
into a place-based design that builds on and further encourages positive
momentum in an area with historic significance.
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Māori Impact
Statement
Please refer to the 15 August
2017 report entitled “Warehouse Precinct update – Stage III/IV
upgrades” for a detailed Māori Impact Statement in regard to this
design. Any further works pertaining to the Exchange area will involve
further consultation with local runaka and whanau (via KTKO and the Maori
Participation Working Party).
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Sustainability
The proposed final design is anticipated to have positive
implications for economic, social and environmental sustainability. Similar
to Stage I upgrades on Vogel Street, these nearby Stage III/IV upgrades have
the potential to support increased economic activity and vibrancy in the
Warehouse Precinct. Social sustainability is supported through the creation
of meaningful urban spaces that help to unveil local history, are walkable
and support day-to-day and event-based social interactions. Environmental
sustainability is supported through the encouragement of walking and cycling,
prioritisation of native plantings and use of permeable paving.
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LTP/Annual Plan /
Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy
The proposed final design is
funded within existing budgets allocated for implementation of the Warehouse
Precinct Revitalisation Plan. Warehouse Precinct upgrades will be included in
the Long Term Plan for further consideration.
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Financial
considerations
The proposed design has been costed at a total which is
just under the remaining budget approved and available for Stage III/IV
Warehouse Precinct upgrades. Given the size and importance of these works, it
is hoped that a large tender package will attract competitive quotes that
come in under this figure. For this reason, the figure has not been included
in the report. As noted above, further funding is also being sought
through LTP 2019-2029.
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Significance
Approval of the proposed final design for Stage III/IV
Warehouse Precinct upgrades is assessed as being of moderate significance.
The most significant strategic directions driving this design have already
been endorsed by Council in the adoption of the Warehouse Precinct
Revitalisation Plan, Central City Plan and other strategies and plans.
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Engagement –
external
A summary of community feedback to date was provided as
part of the 15 August 2017 report to the Planning and Environment Committee.
Further feedback from the Committee and disabilities stakeholders in
particular is summarised and included here (see point 10).
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Engagement –
internal
City Development has regularly engaged with the following
teams while developing the proposed design: Resource Consents, Transport,
Parks and Recreation, Events and Community Development, and Communications
and Marketing. The design and parking plan have been discussed with Transport
to ensure that implementation and maintenance are realistic, and to confirm
that any Bylaw requirements relating to parking are met. Similarly, Parks and
Recreation have been consulted on the planting plan to ensure an appropriate
species selection and manageable maintenance.
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Risks: Legal /
Health and Safety etc.
There is some legal risk associated with pursuing amenity
upgrades to the Bond St Laneway, as the Laneway is currently in private
ownership. The Laneway’s northern end is under sole ownership of a
stakeholder strongly supportive of the Laneway concept, whereas the southern
end is jointly owned across multiple neighbouring properties. Tendering of
works initially will exclude upgrades to the Laneway; these upgrades will be
added on to the tender package only once a satisfactory legal arrangement is
considered and approved by Council in a subsequent report.
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Conflict of
Interest
There are no known conflicts of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no direct implications for Community Boards.
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