UPDATE FROM WDC RE EMERGENCY EXIT

The morning after the fire on 23 January, PRGI contacted WDC to ask for some improvements to be made to the current emergency exit at the junction of Pegasus Main St and Gladstone Rd. Numerous email communications took place involving Council staff, elected members and other relevant parties. A site meeting was held on 7 February, involving PRGI, Woodend Community Association, Woodend-Sefton Community Board members, the Mayor and Council Roading staff. Council staff also consulted the Woodend Volunteer Fire Brigade, NZ Police and Civil Defence. Further discussion took place at the Community Board meeting on 11 February. The outcome is reported below in this update from Joanne McBride, Roading Manager at the Waimakariri District Council. PRGI thank all those involved for taking our suggestions on board and for being so willing to engage and take action. Further discussions are ongoing and we will let you know if there are additional updates.

A fire on the roundabout at the intersection of Infinity Drive and Pegasus Blvd on January 23 resulted in the temporary closure of the road into Pegasus and the opening of the emergency access on Gladstone Road where it meets Pegasus Main Street.

This was the first time the gate has been used to date. At the time the emergency access was put in place Council discussed this with residents and the fire service and while an electric gate was initially proposed it would have been prone to failure during power outages. For this reason a standard gate with lock and key was decided on.

Since the fire Council staff have started working with the Woodend-Sefton Community Board, Pegasus Resident Association, Woodend Community Association, Fire Service, Police and Civil Defence to review the operation of the emergency access and implement improvements, should the access be required in a future event.   

 The following improvements are to be made:

·         Install a kerb cut down at the end of Pegasus Main Street to allow easier vehicle access

·         Increase the width of the emergency access gate to allow better flow of vehicles

·         Install signage on the unsealed road

·         Confirm the procedures for the operation of the emergency access.

Further information will be shared with the Community as this work progresses.

What's Happening on Pegasus Main St?

For those of you wondering what is happening between Pegasus Main St and Pakohe St, we have this update from Todd Property

Work has commenced to create 39 residential sections and 20 mixed zoning sections (residential/business use combined) fronting Pegasus Main Street. This will also extend Whakatipu Street (vehicle for part/pedestrian for part) from Hodgkinson Road to Pegasus Main Street.

Works are due to be completed 1st half of 2019. Sales have commenced on the 39 residential lots with 17 of these sold.

It is great to see out lovely town continuing to develop!

MESSAGE FROM WDC ABOUT MAINTENANCE ...

...ON PEGASUS BLVD BY GOLF COURSE:

The length of the grass on the roadside of the Pegasus golf course has been a source of conversation amongst the eastern community in recent months following the change of ownership at the Pegasus Golf & Sports Club.

Part of the changeover saw the Council ‘inherit’ responsibility for the maintenance of the fringes, while a suitable and more enduring arrangement was negotiated with the new owners of the club.

That process is ongoing.

In the interim, the Council has had the grass mown on three occasions, while keeping a close eye on the situation to ensure the growth is managed.

While the maintenance levels of the grass applied by the Council are less than those that were put in place by the previous golf club owners; they chose to maintain that standard at their own expense.

The standards we are apply, in terms of at what point we have the grass mown, are consistent in their application across the District.

The Council cannot be held to the same level of expectation as are private owners, as to do so would require it to significantly increase grass maintenance levels across the District, at considerable additional cost to the ratepayer.

We will continue to carry out mowing as is required at Pegasus, while talks with the new owners of the Golf Club continue.

A further mow of the golf course fringes is scheduled for this week.

Gerard Cleary | Manager Utilities & Roading
Utilities & Roading

The Pegasus Residents' Group will be following this issue closely and will report back with any significant updates.

IMG_3407.JPG

UPDATES FROM MEETINGS WITH WDC AND TODD PROPERTY NOV16

November 2016

PRGI MEETINGS WITH WDC AND TODD PROPERTY PEGASUS TOWN

 The President and Secretary of the Pegasus Residents’ Group met recently with both the Council and Todd Property (separately) to discuss a variety of issues relating to Pegasus Town.

Pegasus Lake – continues to be owned by Todd Property, though they are keen for it to be transferred to WDC soon. WDC continue to monitor the nutrients in the Lake and are continuing to work towards a transfer of this asset from Todd Property. PRGI will continue to follow progress closely.

Western Ridge Conservation Area and Eastern wetlands area – Both these areas remain under the ownership of Todd Property with discussion taking place between TP, WDC and the Te Kōhaka Tūhaitara Trust. This is another area PRGI are closely monitoring and seeking progress on to enable proper maintenance and conservation work to be done.

We were informed that the former ‘Harcourts’ building on the corner of Pegasus Boulevard and Whakatipu Street has been sold and will be removed soon.  Once it has been removed, the land will be cleared and grassed over for sale as a residential section.

Swales – WDC ask that residents who have swales that are in bad repair, or too steep, put in a service request to get them fixed (this may include partial filling to level the slope off a bit).  This does not include mowing; that is up to the property owner or occupier.

Retirement village – There is still a block of land that was originally allocated for a retirement village. Todd Property have told us that no interest has been shown in this development at this stage.

Flags and poles – The flags at the entrance to Pegasus were removed by Todd Property due to weather conditions causing wear and tear that meant they had to be replaced frequently at considerable cost. The poles were found to have signs of corrosion, so were also removed.  PRGI have spoken to WDC about getting flags for Pegasus Main St at Christmas time and this will be looked into further for 2017.

Community Centre – It appears the Portacom idea may not proceed and another idea is currently being investigated. This matter has yet to go before the Woodend Sefton Community Board and the full Council for approval, so we are unable to provide details at this stage.

All in all we were pleased with the meetings and all parties are happy to have similar meetings in the future. If you have any queries about the information above, please contact us.

PEGASUS SURVEY RESULTS

Many of you took part in a survey conducted by Canterbury University students in September 2016.  We have compiled the results which have provided us with some useful information.  Several issues have been raised which we will follow up on over time and have been drawn to the attention of the Council, developers and other relevant people.
Click here for the survey results

Lake Meeting Held 22 February 2016

Meeting Held to Discuss Lake Pegasus Management

 The on-going management of Lake Pegasus was detailed last Monday at a specially convened meeting involving the Pegasus Resident’s Group, the Waimakariri District Council, Todd Property Pegasus Town Ltd which owns the lake, and other vested interest groups.

Although the lake is being managed by Todd Property Pegasus Town Ltd for now, responsibility for its long-time future will fall to the council once the handover from the current owner is completed.

Attendees at the meeting were given a run down on future management plans, which followed a question and answer session where all parties were given the opportunity to quiz both Todd Property Pegasus Town Ltd and the Council on lake background.

A pre-prepared list of the most frequently asked questions was answered in detail by the lake’s current owner in collaboration with the council.

This included expert scientific and engineering opinion which helped to dispel some of the uncertainty with regards to both the lake’s original development, but also its current environmental status and capabilities as a recreational facility.

Pegasus Resident’s Group spokesperson Ian Lennie, who chaired the meeting, said that the exercise had helped to clarify the issues locals had. The feedback helped to explain matters such as weed control, water clarity, and the flow on effect to the surrounding environment of any actions taken to change the dynamics within the lake.

“The overall feeling after the meeting was that we were all much better informed, while gaining an assurance from the Council that a future management plan was being put in place that we would be consulted about,” Mr Lennie said.

“It was a very constructive gathering and it was great to have so many of the people and organisations who have a vested interest in the lake all together in one room.”

Council Manager of Utilities and Roading Gerard Cleary said the positive nature of the meeting highlighted the collective desire to maximise the lake’s potential as a community facility.

“It [the meeting] was a good opportunity to clear up some of the misconceptions that have grown with regards to the lake, while taking on board some feedback from residents and lake users that will help us with its future management,” Mr Cleary said.

“Lake Pegasus is a young lake, and it is still evolving in terms of its natural ecology. To date, the lake is performing in every way to which it was designed. By careful on-going management, in consultation with residents and lake users, we should be able to ensure Lake Pegasus continues to develop as a valuable recreational facility for the whole community.”

Mr Cleary said it was important to understand that the lake, while man-made, now played a role in the local ecological system. Any changes made to the original design, or to the way the lake was managed, have the potential to have environmental effects downstream.

“That was raised at the meeting and it was an important point. Having so many vested interests in the same room allowed us to explain the ramifications of any actions taken within the lake itself. This is why its future management is so important, and why every action that is taken has to be carefully considered by all involved parties.”

The meeting was attended by delegations from Todd Property Pegasus Town Ltd, the Council (including Mayor David Ayers and CEO Jim Palmer), Te Kohaka o Tuhaitara Trust, the Waimakariri Water Zone Committee and the Woodend Ashley Community Board.

Representatives from Kore Hire, who operate a commercial boating business on the lake, and Canterbury Triathlon, who run events at Pegasus, were also present.

For a copy of the lake information document, visit the WDC website; Waimakariri.govt.nz or the Pegasus Residents’ Group website; http://www.pegasusresidentsgroup.com/contacts/ or contact the Pegasus Residents’ Group by email; pegasusresidentsgroup@gmail.com.