Reserve sale delayed for four months

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It is likely to be at least four months before the "for sale" signs go up again on part of Montgomery Rd reserve on St Johns Hill.

The Wanganui District Council resolved to carve up the reserve, on the corner of Great North Rd and Montgomery Rd, retaining some as reserve but selling the remainder for residential development.

Council started actively marketing the land but last month a concerted campaign to save a bigger portion of the reserve and retain views over the city and the Tasman Sea brought about a change.

The campaign was supported by a petition which generated several thousand signatures and convinced council to almost halve the amount of land it had earmarked for housing.

The original plan was to hive off about 15,000sq m of the reserve and council officers were estimating that area could have realised up to $500,000. But the about-face means there will only be 9500sq m available for housing development - and less profit - while the reserve space will more than double from 5400sq m to 10,940sq m.

Property manager Rowan McGregor, told the council's operations and reporting committee that just one tender for the subdividable portion had been received but that was declined because that had been made on the assumption the top part of the reserve was included in the land parcel.

Mr McGregor said council would need to go back to NZ Transport Agency to "sort out" the matter of access to the residential sections.

"We'll also have to talk with valuers again about possible prices and also with those representing the petitioners before we go back to tender."

He said he could not give a precise timeframe but said four months was probable.

"It'll be at least a month to get the information we need and some more time to get the valuations," he said.

The reserve was among a number council had earmarked for sale, using the income to help lower its burgeoning debt.