When Old Central School Hall users complained to Papakura Local Board about access to their cherished facilities, they painted a grim picture.
Many of the members were older and struggled to haul easels, paints and other associated artistic paraphernalia to their classes from the car park – if by some miracle they could find a park close to the hall in the first place.
Papakura Art Group members Glenda Kenney and Lyn Garrett were chosen to attend a board meeting and outline member’s problems, and they found a receptive audience.
A common-sense approach
Just a few weeks later board chair Brent Catchpole and Manurewa-Papakura Councillor Daniel Newman were on site with council facilities staff and Auckland Transport representatives.
Art group members called in reinforcements from the Papakura Budgeting Service, also based in the hall, and came armed with solutions of their own.
“We are just asking for a little common sense. We used to be able to access the hall from the carpark, but car stops went in. There is already one space marked for no parking, but people just park in it anyway,” Mrs Kenney says.
“All that’s needed is to take the car stop out, enforce the no parking, and let hall users access the hall.”
Board chair Brent Catchpole says it seems crazy to be renting out a hall and then denying users easy access to it.
“We are confident we can get something sorted out, but we have to be careful we don’t just create parking around the hall only for it to be snapped up by people using the nearby public carpark.”
Cr Newman was impressed by the artist’s willingness to provide solutions.
“They have a short-term fix, a proposal that would work medium-term and even a long-term solution to introduce angle-parking.”
Council officers have been asked to investigate a range of options.
