Pacific Coast Village manager Bruce Fleming, chairman of Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation Kevin Haua and Tauranga City councillor Leanne Brown celebrate the agreement. Photo / George Novak
Pacific Coast Village manager Bruce Fleming, chairman of Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation Kevin Haua and Tauranga City councillor Leanne Brown celebrate the agreement. Photo / George Novak
A new $1 million road link in Papamoa will be built ahead of schedule.
The Maori Land Court gave its consent this week for Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporated to donate a 400-metre strip of land behind Pacific Coast Village, which will allow completion of the Grenada St link between SunriseAve and Sandhurst Drive years ahead of schedule.
Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks, a shareholder in the retirement village as well as a significant landowner in the area, has agreed on a cost-sharing arrangement with Pacific Coast Village and Tauranga City Council that will allow the road to be finished next year.
Work will begin to connect the two ends of Grenada Rd in January.
Negotiations were triggered by a confidential submission that Pacific Coast Village made to the council's Long Term Plan earlier this year. The final agreement between the three parties was approved on Tuesday.
The council has also had discussions with the New Zealand Transport Agency about getting funding assistance for the new road.
Pacific Coast Village managing partner Graham Wilkinson said: "The completion of Grenada St is great news for the area. Not only will it free up congestion along Maranui St for locals, improving safety along this stretch, but it will also provide another access and exit route to the Pacific Coast Village. The village is growing rapidly and another link road will ensure easy - and safe - access for our residents and their visitors."
Mount Maunganui and Papamoa ward councillor Steve Morris said the road would be well used.
"The missing link between the Mount and Papamoa will be warmly welcomed by our residents, who have advocated for its construction for years.
"It will further reduce traffic on both busy Maranui St and Papamoa Beach Rd West, which have seen traffic volumes fall as a result of the opening of the Mangatawa interchange. It also provides another route for commuters reluctant to use the Bayfair and Baypark roundabouts."
