At a meeting on April 30 of its Works Committee, the Hastings Council will consider a staff recommendation to put any major consideration of future development plans for Ocean Beach on the back burner. Assuming it accepts the recommendation, the Council will not re-address the issue until it reviews its entire District Plan as part of a major overhaul in 2013. In the meantime, Council staff would be tasked with progressing discussions with relevant landowners at Ocean Beach regarding securing ongoing public road access to the beach and “adequate reserve provision.”
Here’s the formal recommendation as presented in the staff report (you can read/download the entire discussion document here … open the Works Committee Agenda for April 30):
“A) That Council resolves to continue to defer any further progress on the May 2007 Ocean beach Structure Plan and any associated Plan Change, and that any future review of zoning and development opportunities is incorporated into the review of the District Plan in 2013.
B) That Council resolves to focus any further investigations and actions into the future of Ocean Beach on resolving the priority issues of public access and reserve.
C) That officers be instructed to meet with adjoining landowners to explore public access and reserve provision options and report back a preferred option to Council.”
The report notes that nothing prevents developers from submitting development proposals in the meantime, in which case the Council would need to respond as required.
Speaking of meantime, the matter of Hill Country’s (Andy Lowe) payment of Council fees totaling $276,000 for assessment of Andy’s since-withdrawn plan for a 1,000 home Ocean Beach development has not been resolved.
Tom Belford
Maybe Council should consider confiscating $276,00.00 worth of the land if Hill Country/Andy Lowe refuse to pay!
I can only hope that i never live long enough to see 1000 homes at ocean baech. Of all the places i've traveled in my life ocean beach is at the top of my list. I sure hope the local people there put a stop to people like andy lowe. good luck too the locals.
Re…the matter of Hill Country’s (Andy Lowe) payment of Council fees totaling $276,00. He has been too busy putting all his toys back in the cot from which he threw them after the withdrawal of his plan change!
Maybe he could ask Sam to raise the money for him -like it might only cost him $400,000 to do so!