Ideas sought for Paraparaumu Town Centre and Kapiti Road

What do you think a future Paraparaumu town centre could look like? How can we make it more attractive to visitors and people who live there? Come and share your views at an open day on Saturday 28 June, from 10am-2pm at Paraparaumu Library.

This Community Board/Council-run event aims to get the community involved in developing a concept of how Paraparaumu town centre might look after the Expressway is built and State Highway 1 becomes a local road. It's also a chance to consider future improvements for Kāpiti Road in terms of footpaths, cycleways, signs, lanes, crossings, trees and other features.

Kāpiti Mayor Ross Church says Paraparaumu is the economic heart of the district and strategically important to the whole district.

"We know that the construction of the Expressway will change the way Paraparaumu town centre functions and this provides us with an opportunity to reshape it in terms of infrastructure, services and commercial activity."

Mayor Church says the Expressway will change the way traffic flows around the town centre and, when it's completed, SH1 will become a local road. "This will provide an opportunity to re-design and create a heart for Paraparaumu to make the most of the opportunities these changes will bring."

The Paraparaumu community created a vision for the town centre in the past as the 'Civic heart of the district', says Mayor Church.

"We want to work with the community to develop this concept. Ideas have included developing Rimu Road as the 'main street' featuring more retail and businesses, more public open space around Wharemauku Stream and further development of the civic precinct.

"It's time for us to check in with the community to see if these ideas are still current or need refreshing and to develop concept plans, based on what the community wants," says Mayor Church.

The open day will be the first of several with more planned for later in the year.

The transformation of Paraparaumu town centre is part of the wider Town Centres and Connectors Transformation project, which is also looking at the future shape of Waikanae town centre, Kāpiti Road and the parts of State Highway 1 that run through the two towns.

Anyone wanting more information on the project can visit www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/town-centres