Merivale Parking Plan Campaign

Letter No 3- Council Meeting 8am 2 February 2009 & Signatures

 

LETTER NO 3 – COUNCIL MEETING

8am

 

2 February 2009

& SIGNATURES

 

 

MERIVALE PARKING PLAN CAMPAIGN

www.merivale.typepad.com

 

52 Murray Place

CHRISTCHURCH

  8014

Ph 3554 258. Fax 355 4882. Email glass@es.co.nz

18 January 2009

 

Dear Neighbours including Local Businesses

 

Campaign to Retain Resident On-street Parking in Merivale

 

Thank you everyone for your tremendous responses, support and offers of help, all of which are extremely helpful and appreciated.

 

 The Community Board will meet at

8am

on Monday 2 February in the Boardroom at the Fendalton Service Centre, corner Jeffreys and

Clyde

Roads to consider the proposed Merivale Parking Plan. An early start but please attend if you can as this is an important matter affecting your rights as citizens of

Christchurch

.

 

If you wish to contact any of the City Councillors or Community Board Members involved, their names and contact details are on the attached sheet.

 

For a copy of the Agenda prior to the meeting please contact Mr Graham Sutherland phone 941 6728 or email Graham.Sutherland <Graham.Sutherland@ccc.govt.nz>

 

TWO SUBMISSIONS

 

We will be gathering signatures, starting very soon.

The questionnaires continue to show there is very little support  for the Council's Merivale Parking Plan. Most  people (99%) do not support it at all as it stands. Of  these, 81% are opposed to any parking restrictions and we are preparing a submission for those persons to sign.

 

Of the 99%, about 18% would support an amended plan but want residents' exemptions. Accordingly we shall also prepare a second submission for these respondents to sign. (As earlier advised it is not Council policy to give exemptions).

 

 

Kind regards

Sheryn Gillard Glass and Jim Glass, Cathy Solomon and Jim Barribeau.

 

 

Second Letter - Dated 2 January 2009

Attached is a copy of our second letter dated 2 January 2009

 

 INTERIM UPDATE – LETTER NO 2

 

 

 

MERIVALE PARKING PLAN CAMPAIGN

www.merivale.typepad.com

 

52 Murray Place

CHRISTCHURCH

  8014

Ph 3554 258. Fax 355 4882. Email glass@es.co.nz

2 January 2009

 

Dear Neighbours including Local Businesses

 

Campaign to Retain Resident On-street Parking in Merivale

 

Thank you for your replies to our questionnaires and your extremely helpful comments. This letter will be emailed to those of you who supplied email addresses and delivered to those who gave street addresses only.

 

We report on an interim basis as follows:

 

The majority of  respondents (77%) did not support the Council’s Merivale Parking Plan.

 

22% of respondents did support the Council’s Merivale Parking Plan if Residents’ exemptions were available. 

 

1% of the respondents supported the Council’s Merivale Parking Plan as it is.

 

The next step will be collecting your signatures to be presented at the relevant Fendalton/Waimairi Community Board meeting and to the Christchurch City Council.

 

Meanwhile feel free to talk to others about the issues. We include a further copy of our original questionnaire in case you know other persons who would like to respond. Please photocopy if necessary.

 

 

Kind regards

Sheryn Gillard Glass, Jim Glass, Cathy Solomon and Jim Barribeau

 

 

 

MERIVALE

 

 

1. Do you support the proposed Council parking plan for Merivale? Yes/No

 

2. If your answer to the first question is “yes”, would you want residents’ exemptions if the Council would allow it?                         Yes/No

 

 

3. Would you like a group response to the Council?         Yes/No

 

4. Can you help co-ordinate any group response ?            Yes/No

 

5.Can you help otherwise eg collection of signatures?      Yes/No

                          

 

6. Our names are:

 

 

7. We live at       

 

8. Our phone numbers are:

 

 

9. Our email addresses are:

 

 

10. We also wish to say:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter 3 December 2008 and Questionaire

On 3 December 2008 we wrote to neighbours about the Council's proposed Merivale Parking Plan and the Merivale Parking Plan Campaign and enclosed a questionaire. Here is a copy.

 

 

 

 

MERIVALE PARKING PLAN CAMPAIGN

www.merivale.typepad.com

 

52 Murray Place

CHRISTCHURCH

8014

Ph 3554 258. Fax 355 4882. Email glass@es.co.nz

3 December 2008

 

Dear Neighbour

 

Campaign to Retain Resident On-street Parking in Merivale

 

Many of you will recall our involvement in Murray Place affairs in 1999 when we held Street meetings and by residents’ combined efforts and a group submission to the Council we were successful in obtaining both trees and underground wiring in Murray Place.

 

We are very concerned about the prospect of restricted parking in Merivale, especially two hour parking which will have an adverse impact mostly on the residents. Many of us are ratepayers and it is unacceptable that the Council can attempt to restrict our rights. We understand the plan stems from a Council idea it will encourage persons working in Merivale to travel by bus rather than car, but people will just park a bit further away from the Mall. Some people may accept some restrictions if residents were exempt.

 

On

10 November 2008

Graham Sutherland of the Council (ph 941 6728) advised that the Council's policy is NOT to give residents exemptions as to parking if they have off street parking for even one vehicle. So exemptions are available only where a residence has no off street parking at all. Some residents work from home, some need to park on the street and visitors, trades people, babysitters and carers need to be accommodated.

 

Please see the website for Sheryn’s report about the Council meeting attended by about 40 concerned members of the public at 8

am

on

Monday 24 November 2008

at the Fendalton Service Centre. The Council’s Agenda says:

·        8% of people responded to the survey forms ie 375 persons.

·        In answer to the question “Do you believe parking is an issue in Merivale?”  62% of respondents agreed there was. (This is such a wide and general question it is hard to know what it means.).

·        40% did not support the proposed plan

·        33% did support it and

·        27% did not state a response.

 

We attach a short initial questionnaire in order to secure a better outcome by a group response, albeit at this late stage. We understand the next Council meeting is in February 2009.

Kind regards

Sheryn Gillard Glass, Jim Glass, Cathy Solomon and Jim Barribeau

 

 

 

MERIVALE

 

 

1. Do you support the proposed Council parking plan for Merivale? Yes/No

 

2. If your answer to the first question is “yes”, would you want residents’ exemptions if the Council would allow it?                         Yes/No

 

 

3. Would you like a group response to the Council?         Yes/No

 

4. Can you help co-ordinate any group response ?            Yes/No

 

5.Can you help otherwise eg collection of signatures?      Yes/No

                          

 

6. Our names are:

 

 

7. We live at       

 

8. Our phone numbers are:

 

 

9. Our email addresses are:

 

 

10. We also wish to say:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article in Nor'West Times 3 December

An article appeared in the Nor'West Times amount the parking restrictions and is shown below. Click to get a larger view.

 

Meeting 8 am Monday 24 November 2008

At the meeting of the Fendalton/Waimairi Community Board today at 8am there were many interested members of the public present (about 40). There were not enough copies of the Agenda but copies will be posted on request. In brief I said my family and 2 others opposed the scheme as it will impact mostly on residents who, with their visitors and families will have to cope with the two hour parking, that it will just move the problem to other streets and most people oppose it. Also that the Council policy is not to give exemptions to residents except where there is no drive on access. The Agenda says 40% oppose it, 33% support it and 27% did not state a response. The Agenda said 62% believed there was an issue with parking in Merivale (but I am not sure what that means as it is very general.) I was not able to ascertain whether the people who park their cars were consulted.

Residents of Heaton St & Church Lane spoke who want to be included in any parking plan as they see the proposed plan may mean more people will park in their streets. All the speakers supported residents' exemptions & the public also clapped in support of them. There are problems with Hospital staff parking in Heaton St, with safety and double parking and it was said the St needs proper traffic & safety management. The Councillors listened well & asked quite a few good questions.

In the event when the authors of the plan spoke (Steve Abley, Reuben Williams & Peter Barnes) I understood an amended plan had not been put to the Board & some map colours were unclear and further consultation is needed. Thus, no decisions could be made today. A man in the public gallery  was asked by the Chairperson to leave the meeting today for speaking out about matters. 

Where to now? I think we now need to canvas Murray Place residents & residents in other affected streets and talk about the issues among ourselves. We all pay large rates in Merivale. I for one do not want to lose my right to park outside our house and certainly do not want to get parking tickets or have my visitors and persons sitting with my elderly mother to get tickets.  It is clear from the Agenda that extensions to any parking plan are already in contemplation ie greater restrictions & for longer periods of time. It would make for a very unhappy village. Sheryn Gillard Glass

Merivale Parking-letter to Press

I attach a copy of my letter to the Christchurch Press which has not been published by the Press. On reflection it probably exceeds the word length which I forgot about as I was so concerned about this issue.

"Dear Sir/Madam

The Christchurch City Council has drawn up a Merivale Parking Plan which will allow 2 hour parking in many streets with no exemptions for residents. In London, a city with a far larger population than Christchurch, all residents are given exemptions.

I consider the plan ill conceived and unnecessary. We live in Murray Place and do not have a parking problem at present. I understand the plan stems from an idea it will encourage persons working in Merivale to travel by bus rather than car, but people will just park a bit further away in adjacent streets.

If the plan goes ahead Merivale residents in the streets will be the losers. We pay huge rates but the Council will be taking away our rights to park outside our own properties and in our own street. The situation in our household is that we need at all times to park one vehicle in the street.

The public meeting to discuss the proposed plan is set down for 8am on Monday 24 November 2008 at the Fendalton Service Centre, corner Clyde Road and Jeffreys Road. This is an absurd time as it is likely to exclude many working people and parents of school children.

If the Community Board approves the plan which gives no exemptions to Merivale residents and puts residents at a disadvantage, it might well be "time for a change" at the next election.

Your faithfully

Sheryn Gillard Glass

Home phone number 3554 258

Work 9680 621

Address 52 Murray Place Chch 8014"

Merivale Parking & Residents' Parking Exemptions

I live at 52 Murray Place with my husband and elderly mother. Jim and I have lived here for 30 years and reared a family here. We object to any parking restrictions as they are not necessary and will have an adverse impact mostly on residents of the streets concerned, such as ourselves. We pay large rates and find it unacceptable that the Council can attempt to restrict our rights. On 10 November 2008 Graham Sutherland of the Council (ph 941 6728) told me that the Council's policy is NOT to give residents exemptions as to parking if they have offstreet parking for even one vehicle. So it is only where a residence has no offstreet parking at all that the Council will give an exemption. The proposed parking restrictions are a big worry for us. My husband has to park his car on the street and works from home and many visitors and helpers come to our home for hours at a time because of the care needed by my elderly mother. Sheryn Gillard Glass

Save our Parking!

Here is the flier which is going out this weekend.

Discussion thread

What do you think about the proposed parking ban? Please leave your comments here, and let us know what street you live on, or if you are a 'commuter'.

Council Information

The council has information the parking ban here:

http://www.ccc.govt.nz/QuickAnswers/BuildingPlanning/Driveways/F4208.asp