Paraparaumu town centre transformation takes shape

Exciting ideas are coming through from the community for transforming Paraparaumu town centre says Kapiti Mayor Ross Church.

Exciting ideas are coming through from the community for transforming Paraparaumu town centre says Kāpiti Mayor Ross Church.

Today Council gave the go-ahead for draft concept ideas and options on Paraparaumu town centre and Kāpiti Road to be circulated to the community for comment. The concepts are influenced by 201 suggestions made by participants at the last open day in June and received in subsequent feedback.

The preliminary concept design report is now available on line at www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/town-centres and will be the subject of the next community open day on Saturday 27 September, 10am-2pm at Paraparaumu Library.

Mayor Church says local people want Paraparaumu town centre to give the district a thriving heart.

The town centres project offers a unique chance to make real changes to the town centre. The public, business owners and operators, transport operators, schools, Te Ati Awa Town Centre Working Group and many others have been involved in developing ideas for how this might be achieved, he says.

"We want to get this right so that means listening to as many ideas as we can and then working out what will be the best way of transforming the town centre and making the most of the new environment created by the Expressway. This next open day is the perfect opportunity for the community to have a say on the draft ideas."

One issue that has been coming through loud and clear is the lack of a public heart to the centre – nowhere to sit and relax and enjoy the outdoors, he says

"It's exciting to see ideas that address this issue, such as enhancing the area around the civic precinct into a far more inviting public space with better connection to Kāpiti Primary School. This involves the creation of wetland areas on school and public land ideal for both education and relaxation.

"There are ideas for drawing the dune landscape into the town, planting more vegetation, creating a network of walkways connecting people to the landscape and a pedestrian promenade alongside civic buildings.

"The beauty of the ideas for the civic precinct is that Council owns the majority of the land in this area, so can directly influence and stimulate further development that improves public spaces."

Work on the town centres project will feed into the 2015 Long Term Plan process.

The Paraparaumu town centre transformation 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 Projects - Kāpiti Coast District Council (kapiticoast.govt.nz)