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May 21, 2014
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Fourth retail zone planned for Warkworth The fragmentation of Warkworth’s retail sector looks set to continue with a large retail development proposed at The Grange, on SH1, at the southern end of the town. Developer Square and Main Street Ltd hopes to build 22 tenancies over a 5.2 hectare site to accommodate large format/bulk retail, as well as a BP service station and a McDonalds fast food outlet. The development plan includes the construction of a new road, widening of SH1 at the intersection, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge, an access to Hauiti Drive, and more than 200 car parks. A resource consent application was lodged with Auckland Council in February. News of the development comes just months after Foodstuffs’ plans to build a Pak’nSave at Hudson Road were revealed. The company is believed to have purchased a 9.6ha block of vacant land on the corner of Hudson Rd and SH1, at the northern side of town. In a submission to Council’s draft Unitary Plan, the grocery giant stated that it wanted the land rezoned from future business to general business. The land at The Grange is already zoned for retail development. Co-director of parent company, Waimarie Corporate Trustee Ltd, Colin Reynolds says Square and Main Street has been involved in a range of large-scale developments, but he did not wish to elaborate. “The Warkworth development is still at an early stage and we are still confirming tenants and working through the details of the consent,” he says. “The size of the development is will depend on how many tenants we are able to confirm.” continued page 2
Artist Ruby Watson at the blessing of the Mahurangi River sculptures. More photos at localmatters.co.nz
Mahurangi River’s steel sentinels blessed A sculpture trail featuring 14 steel silhouettes of native birds was blessed by kaumatua at a dawn service on the Mahurangi River on May 14. With bird song in the background, representatives of Ngati Manuhiri and Ngati Whatua paid tribute to the work of freelance artist and architectural designer Ruby Watson, and acknowledged the support of the Rodney Local Board. The laser cut works in Cor-ten steel are designed to
blend with the landscape as they weather. The birds are positioned in obvious and not-soobvious places along the river, from Lucy Moore Park to the Warkworth Bridge. Ruby, a former Mahurangi College student, says she spent a lot of time on the river sketching and drawing the birds, and she loves the element of surprise that their distribution presents. continued page 6
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