Home St Playground upgrade concept

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Home Street ReserveDraft Concept Plan - Local Board Workshop, 15 July, 2014


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Auckland Council Home Street Reserve Concept Plan | 3

Section 1: Introduction

1.1 Introduction 6

Section 2: Analysis

2.1 Site context - history 8

2.2 Site context - surrounding landuse 9

2.3 Site context - circulation 10

2.4 Site context - open space 11

2.5 Site specic analysis - reference map 12

2.6 Site specic analysis - street environment 13

2.7 Site specic analysis - reserve entrances 14

2.8 Site specic analysis - play spaces 15

2.9 Site specic analysis - vegetation 16

Section 3: Concept Plan

3.1 Concept plan 18

3.2 Concept plan elements 19

Section 4: Artists Impression

Contents


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1.0 Introduction andBackground

Home Street Reserve - Concept Plan Report


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Introduction

This concept plan report provides draft conceptual options for the renewal anddevelopment of Home Street Reserve, Arch Hill.

The purpose of this document is to develop a long term vision for the reserve. The

concept plan aims to meet the policies and objectives for the re serve, and demands of itssurrounding community.

Home Street Reserve playground is currently due for renewal. This document looksat the reserve holistically, ensuring any works within the park align with the long termvision for the park.

To gain an understanding of the needs of the reserve, analysis of the wider context hasbeen undertaken, including landuse, circulation and surrounding open space. Site specicanalysis is also included, including a review of the surrounding street environment,reserve entrances, play spaces and vegetation.

Site background

Address:19 King Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021

Home Street Reserve is located in Arch Hill, between the suburbs of Grey Lynn and

Kingsland. Arch Hill is ofcially part of Grey Lynn, but it maintains its own uniquecharacter.

Site Area:680 sqm

Zoning: Auckland City District Plan - Isthmus section : Open Space 2 Informal Recreation

Which aims to:

Protect appropriate areas of open space for the enhancement of the environment and

the enjoyment of informal recreation

Enhance the surrounding environment with the retention and regeneration of native

plants and trees

Ensures the visual enhancement of the area

Design considerations

Following an a analysis of the site and its surrounding context, design considerationswere established for the site. This draft concepts for Home Street Reserve includedwithin this document aim for the site being:

A safe place for people to recreate

A place that has a strong sense of the community it sits within

An exciting place for children to play

A place to meet and socialise

A place with a presence (people know it is there)

A place of high visual amenity

A place which requires low maintenance

1.1 Introduction

Figure 1. Home Street Reserve, Auckland Council GIS, 2010


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2.0 AnalysisHome Street Reserve - Concept Plan Re port


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Arch Hill

2.2 Site Context - History

Figure 2. Arch hill historical map, Boylan and Lundon, 1880s

History in Brief

Brief facts about Arch Hill:

Originally known as Archill Farm, the land was late r subdivided as shown on theSurrey Hills, Arch Hill & Eden Terrace map

The former mayor of Auckland, Henry Brett, wrote Bretts Colonist Guide andCyclopedia of Useful Knowledge. which includes cottage designs, which arerecognisable on the streets of Arch Hill today. (http://www.keithandsandy.co.nz/arch-hill-and-surrounds/)

In the 1870s the district became known for its night soil depots

Arch hill brick works were set up at the end of 1877

The Arch Hill hotel was opened in 1880, on the corner of Turangi Road and GreatNorth Road

By 1899, the district was sorting out a reticulated water supply, and had its ownvolunteer re brigade with a re station by March 1900, at around 252-258 GreatNorth Road, adjoining the Arch Hill Road Board ofces.

The district amalgamated with Auckland City in 1913.

Arch Hill population

2006 Census data in brief:

Total population of Arch Hill was 1,230

9.5 percent of people are ages under 15 year in Arch Hill, compared with 22.1 percentfor all of Auckland

There were 57 children aged betwee n 0-4 years, in Arch Hill

There were 33 children aged between 5-9 years, in Arch Hill

There were 27 children aged betwee n 10-14, in Arch Hill

Figure 3. Arch Hill Aerial, Auckland Council GIS, 2010


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BONDSTREET

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This map shows the Auckland Council District Plan zoning, which will be superseded bythe Unitary Plan in the future.

Home Street Reserve is surrounded by residential properties. These residential propertiesare bounded by business to the west and north, and special purpose to the east andsouth. Large green corridors buffer the busy road of the North-western Motorway and

Ian Mckinnon Drive.Businesses along Great North Road are predominantly car sales yards, with a mixture oflight industry, small business, retail stores, and mixed use buildings.

Surrounding residential properties are typically single dwellings on relatively smallsections (300-400sqm). There is a number of apartment and mixed use buildings alongthe nearby Great North Road and Newton Road.

Special purpose land consists of Newton Central School at the eastern limits of Arch Hilland the North-western motorway to the south.

The Draft Unitary Plan has been released for public consultation, with submissions closing

in February 2014.

If the draft Unitary Plan is adopted as currently indicated there will be little change from

the current zoning of Arch Hill.

Within this context of relatively dense residential development, reserves play animportant role. Open space provides recreational opportunities and amenity to balancethe bulk and scale of the surrounding built form. Open space also have the potential tobecome backyards for those properties without them.

2.2 Site context - surrounding landuse

Home Street Reserve

Open Space

Residential

Business

Special purpose

LEGEND:

Scale: 1:2,000 @ A3

NAuckland City Council Activity Zoning

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BOND

STREET

GREATN

ORTH

ROAD

KARANG

AHAPER

OAD

NEWTONROA

HOPETO

UNSTR

EET

EATNORTHROAD

IANM

CKINNONDRIVE

ONROAD

SC HOOLROAD

KI NGSLANDAVENUE

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DOMINION

ROAD

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NEWNORTHR

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ROSSMAYTERRACE

NORTHWESTE

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WAY

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NORTH

LANDSTREET

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RICHMONDROAD

ANGIROAD

CRUM

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VIEWROAD

BELLEVU

WALTERSROAD

GREY

LYNN

PARK

ARCH HILL

SCENIC RESERVE

NIXON

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Home Street Reserve is surrounded by a network of local roads. Local roads form thenorthern and eastern boundaries to the site. Home Street forms the northern boundaryand King Street forms the eastern boundary. There is a street garden adjacent to HomeStreet Reserve stopping vehicular access between Bond Street and King Street.

Beyond the network of local roads, the reserve is bound on all sides by busy roads

(arterial roads and the North-western motorway). These busy roads are within a10 minute walk from Home Street Reserve and provide somewhat of a barrier forpedestrians, with limited designated pedestrian crossings and bridge crossings of themotorway.

The Waitemata proposed Greenway network, adopted by t he Local Board in 2013,does not directly intersect with Home Street Reserve. When the Greenway network

is developed, it will provide improved pedestrian and cycle connections the local roadnetwork that surrounds the reserve. Similarly the Auckland Cycle Network (ACN) doesnot connect with the reserve.

The location and topography of the reserve means that the development of the reserve isunlikely to contribute to any wider circulation networks.

2.3 Site context - circulation

Home Street Reserve

Arterial roads and motorway

surrounding Home Street Reserve

Proposed greenway route

Motorway

Arterial Road

Local Road

Highway

Connector

Feeder

LEGEND:

Scale: 1:2,000 @ A3

NRoad Hierarchy Auckland Cycle Network

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BONDSTREET

GREATN

ORTH

ROAD

KARANG

AHAPER

OAD

NEWT

HOPETO

UNSTR

EET

GREATNORTHROAD

IANMCKINNONDRIVE

INIONROAD

SC HOOLROAD

KINGSLAND

AVENUE

ROAD

DOMINION

ROAD

NEWNOR

THROAD

NEWNORTH

ROAD

ROSSMAYTERRACE

NORTHWESTE

RNMO

TORW

AY

PONSONBYROAD

TUREKIN

ASTREET

NORTH

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SONA

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RICHMONDROAD

TURANGIROAD

CRUM

MERR

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VIEWROAD

BELLEVUEROAD

WALTERSROAD

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PARK

ARCH HILL

SCENIC RESERVE

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This map shows public open space that surrounds Home Street Reserve. It also showsland adjacent to the North-western motorway that is not zoned Open Space, but is landthat provides recreational opportunities.

Grey Lynn as a whole is well served by public open space that provide a variety ofrecreational opportunities.

As discussed in section 2.3, however arterial roads act somewhat as a barrier to HomeStreet Reserve. Home Street Reserve is the only reserve that sits with these busy roadsand services the recreational needs of the Arch Hill community.

Larger areas of open space are provided beyond these busy roads, but within a 10 minutewalk from Home Street Reserve, and their recreational facilities include:

Grey Lynn Park provides sportselds, basketball courts, tennis courts, clubrooms,playgrounds, and a skate ramp.

Suffolk Reserve provides green open space.

Nixon Park provides sports elds, skate parks, basketball court, playground, andclubrooms.

Arch Hill Reserve provides a playground, basketball court, mountain bike track, andgreen open space.

2.4 Site context - open space

LEGEND:

Scale: 1:2,000 @ A3

NHome Street Reserve

Schools

Kindergarten / day care

Council owned

Not owned by council

Motorway

Arterial

Local Road

Public Open Space Road Hierarchy

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Reference Map

2.5 Site specic analysis - reference map

Home Street

King Street

Seating and utility box

Home street entrance

King Street entrance

Concrete crib retaining wall

Concrete block retaining wall

Ball wall

Playground

Basketball court

Vegetation - agapanthus

Vegetation - ivy

Vegetation - small trees

Vegetation - small trees

LEGEND:

Scale: 1:500 @ A3

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Site photos Street frontage

Home Street Reserve is largely hidden from view from both Home street and King Street.The reserve sits signicantly lower than the surrounding streets, and views into thereserve are further obscured by vegetation and a large utility box at the corner of the site.

Access to the reserve is to restricted to two entrance points. A mesh fence largelyfollows the boundary of the reserve and the surrounding streets, which provides safetyfrom falling.

The surrounding streets are relatively quiet with wide footpaths.

Opportunities exist within the street network to signicantly lift the prole of thereserve.

2.6 Site specic analysis - street environment

Image 4, Home Street looking west(#1 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 5, Home Street looking east (#1 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 5, King Street looking south(#2 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 5, Seating and utility box, cnr of Home and King streets (#3 ref map),

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Site photos Reserve entrances

Access to the reserve from Home Street is often restricted and visually obstructed byvehicles. This entrance provides a turnaround area for vehicles using Home Street. Thisarea is a no parking area, but is often used for carparking. The area is also used forstoring rubbish bins on rubbish collection days.

Access to the reserve from King Street is relatively clear and visible, although from hereviews to the broader reserve are largely screened by vegetation.

Opportunities exist to improve the access and visibility to the reserve from both Homestreet and King street.

Retaining walls

There are a number of retaining walls within Home Street Reserve. The mostsignicant is a concrete crib wall that runs parallel to Home street. This wall appearsto be structurally sound but is of low aesthetic value. The wall looks tired and poorlymaintained.

A basalt stone wall runs parallel to King Street, and in places this appears to requirestabilisation.

A wire mesh fence serves as a safety barrier along both Home street and King street.There are a number of holes within the wire mesh that needs to be repaired/replaced.

Opportunities exist to improve both the retaining walls and fences, structurally,aesthetically and for safety reasons.

2.7 Site specic analysis - reserve entrances

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Image 8, Home Street entrance (#4 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 9, King Street entrance (#5 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 10, Retaining wall (#6 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 11, Retaining wall (#6 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013


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Site photos Play spaces

Rooms of play spaces currently exist within Home Street Reserve. These rooms areseparated by level changes and walls. Rooms enable the reserve to be used by differentuser groups all at one time. The level changes and walls restrict surveillance and owthroughout the reserve however.

Play equipment in the reserve generally looks tired and old.

With renewal funding available for the playground, opportunities exists to replace theplay equipment with something unique to the Arch Hill community.

2.8 Site specic analysis - play spaces

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Image 12, Concrete block retaining wall (#7 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 13, Ball wall (#8 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 14, Playground (#9 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 15, Basketball court (#10 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013


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Site photos

2.9 Site specic analysis - vegetation

Image 16, Vegetation - agapanthus (#11 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 17, Vegetation - ivy (#12 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 18, Vegetation - small trees (#13 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

Image 19, Vegetation - small trees (#14 ref map), Auckland Council, 2013

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Vegetation

A number of weed species exist within Home Street Reserve including ivy, agapanthusand privet. These weeds all appear on the Auckland Council surveillance pest plantlist, identied as species that have signicant impacts on the biosecurity values of theAuckland region. Accordingly these species should be removed as recommended by

Council.

A number of mature specimen trees exist within the reserve and should be protected forthe shade and amenity that they provide.

There are two very small patches of lawn within this reserve, offering limited recreationalopportunities and amenity value.


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3.0 Concept planHome Street Reserve - Concept Plan Re port


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3.1 Concept plan

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JUMP

HOP

SKIP

FOLLOW

FOLLOW

TIPTOE

Asphalt /coloured concrete

Exposed aggregate concrete

Shrubs and groundcovers

Safety surfacing / bark mulch

Timber edging / seating

Retaining walls

Painted timber cladding

Existing specimen tree

Proposed fruit tree

LEGEND:

Scale: 1:500 @ A3

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Recongure park entrance

Timber clad concrete crib wall

Proposed fruit trees

Footpath and seating

Artwork applied to utility box

Retain existing seating

Retain existing park entrance

Retain tree, remove agapanthus

and replant

Raised basketball court

Low retaining wall / seating

Proposed conventional play area

Create playhouse/hut play area

Proposed seat

Proposed swing within garden

bed

Proposed garden with native

shrubs and groundcovers

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Introduction

The Concept Plans shows possibilities for the development/renewal of Home StreetReserve. The Concept Plan is a long term vision for the park, and works could be stagedas funding becomes available. The landscape elements outlined below relate to thenumbers on the concept plan.

Concept plan elements

- Reconguration of the park entrance. The entrance would still enable vehicles toturnaround within the park, but be repaved using a combination of dark concreteand light concrete. The proposed paving would blur the boundary of the roadand footpath, making the area appear less like a road, to discourage vehicles fromparking in this area. The decorative paving would also provide an interesting andattractive park entrance

- Cladding the concrete crib wall with timber. As discussed previously, the concretecrib wall appears to be structurally sound, but looks tired and poorly maintained.Cladding the wall would lift the reserve visually, without incurring the cost ofreplacing the wall. The retaining wall needs a safety barrier at the road level. Thisconcept suggests that the retaining wall be completely clad with timber, withsections of the timber projecting above the wall to form the safety barrier. Theprojection of the timber cladding to form the safety barrier would link the reserve tothe street environment, creating interest and highlighting the reserve. It is proposedthat the timber be painted by the community, giving the reserve a sense of placespecic to the community in which it sits.

- Creating a street garden of fruit trees within the Home Street carriageway. Thestreet garden would provide visual amenity and link the reserve to the streetenvironment.

- Creating a footpath connection across Home Street. The paving pattern could start

to reect the paving proposed at the entrance to the reserve, connecting the twospaces. Sections of the paving could be extruded to form seating and a vehiclebarrier.

- Covering the utility box in artwork. The utility box sits within the most visible partof the park, and artwork could add interest to the area and give clues/information

on the reserve that sits below.- Retain the existing seating area that overlooks the reserve.

- Retention of King Street entrance and path. Some minor works maybe required totie into proposed new level of the basketball court .

- Removal of weed species on the reserve and replanting with appropriate low shrubsand groundcovers. Retain existing tree.

3.2 Concept plan elements

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Image 21, Paving, Auckland Council

Image 22, Birkenhead Library, Auckland Council

Image 23, Community painting project, http://www.lakeshorelearning.com

Image 24, Community painting project, http://www.tylerlynchpc.com

Image 25, Painted fence, http://www.tonbridgefencing.co.uk

Image 26, Painted fence, http://www.rhs.org.uk


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- Lifting the level of the existing basketball court and hoop. Lifting the level wouldincrease the visibility of the reserve from the surrounding roads. The currentrooms of play spaces could also be better linked and connected. This wouldrequire a small retaining wall along the southern boundary of the reserve. Theplayability of the basketball court could be increased with the additional gamespainted onto the asphalt surface.

- Low retaining wall that provides seating.

- Replacement multi- activity equipment, climbing handles and ladder attached tothe timber clad retaining wall.

- Play equipment that is unique to Arch Hill. It is proposed that play equipmentthat reects the architecture of Arch Hill be installed within the reserve. The playequipment concept includes movable parts and objects that form a hut/shelter.This idea is based on a book published by a former Auckland Major, Henry Brett,Bretts Colonist Guide and Cyclopedia of Useful Knowledge. which included guidanceand instruction for building your own cottage.

- Park bench overlooking playground

- Swing with bark mulch cushion fall set within garden bed

- Removing grass from the reserve and replacing it with low growing shrubs and

groundcovers. As discussed in section 2.9, the lawn affords few recreationalopportunities and amenity values. Removing the lawn would decrease the needfor regular maintenance. The right selection of species here would lift the overallamenity and provide habitats for insects and bugs.

3.2 Concept plan elements continued

Image 27, Fencing, Auckland Council

Image 28, Basketball fence, http://ickr.com

Image 29, Brett Colonist Guide housing, http://www.keithandsandy.co.nz

Image 30, Arch Hill house, Auckland Council, 2013

Image 31, Bush hut, http://www.wildsweden.com

Image 32, Blanket hut, http://www.pinterest.com

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3.0 Artists ImpressionHome Street Reserve - Concept Plan Re port


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Documents

Home St Playground upgrade concept