Residents divided over subdivision

Te Awa residents on Napier's southern boundary have mixed feelings about a housing development proposed for a rural strip previously devoted to crops.
Te Awa Estates Ltd's plans for a 173-section subdivision in Te Awa attracted 21 submissions, 10 supporting the proposal, 10 against and one raising points both for and against.
The site for the proposed development is in Kenny Road, on the southern fringe of Napier's urban area and adjacent to a strip of housing extending along the eastern side of Te Awa Avenue.
Objecting to the proposal, Mark Stuckey, of Masefield Avenue, said it did not sit well with the district plan's proposal for a rural/urban mix.
"This is a place of quiet recreation," he said.
One of the region's few quiet untrumpeted parts, it was close enough for families and individuals to go cycling away from the urban areas.
"It is also a very pleasant place for the soul to recuperate from the stresses of the day by taking a gentle, unpaved walk; to hear the call of the many birds that thrive in the wet areas alongside the drains."
Extra traffic would ruin the spot, Mr Stuckey said, and Napier did not need further housing developments.
Supporting the proposal, Richard and Raewyn Lawrence said they had used the land for horticultural purposes for 24 years.
"At best, this land has been marginal, depending greatly on irrigation in summer, and in winter there has been a definite need for drainage."
The Kenny Road residents said a change from grain-growing and the covering up of open drains would reduce the problem of vermin, especially rats.
"The proposed cross-country drain should provide an adequate environment for the other wildlife populations.
The planting of trees and a small greenbelt will be of benefit to the birdlife in the area, such as pheasants, pukeko, kingfishers etc, all abundant at present."
Glenn White and Sue King, of Te Awa Avenue, said Napier's low population growth did not warrant approval of the proposal.
"Council's final decision should be made on the basis of a logical and compact growth of the city, with emphasis on the preservation of the diverse localities and lifestyle appeal that make Napier a desirable place to live," they said.
In support, Te Awa Avenue property owners Peter and Alison Sherratt said the area, the closest undeveloped neighbourhood to Napier's CBD, had been under-utilised as farmland.
Opposing the proposal, Paul Cross, of Te Awa Avenue, said any development should be restricted to lifestyle blocks. Also from Te Awa Avenue, Cara McIvor said swamps were "the kidneys of the earth" and should not be drained.
Andrew Friedlander, of Kenny Road, said the development would clean up an area that continually suffered from people dumping rubbish in the drains and on the roadside.
While they supported the application, Eriksen Road residents Matt and Shona Grace said Kenny Road's 100km/h speed limit was already too fast, especially with boy racers using it as a racetrack.
They asked if the Napier Boys' High School end of the road would be permanently closed. They also sought further assurance that they would not be adversely affected by flooding as a result of heavy rainstorms.
Maraenui Golf Club said drainage would be significantly improved as a result of the development.
"This will have a pronounced positive impact on our course, which currently loses golf days through rain, and offers a muddy facility on many days when it is open - both because of the fact that much of our course is close to sea level."
Andrew and Rohitha Cottingham said many people had bought in Te Awa Avenue knowing it was a rural community.
The poorly designed, block-style plan, offering sections as small as 357sq m, could lead to a ghetto-type estate, they said.