An anticipated new intersection and associated traffic lights at Waimea Rd is expected to be operational in the next six months, with construction of the associated $125 million lifestyle retirement village to follow closely behind.
The work is happening near Station Reserve, 350m north of Beatson Rd, for a new road that will provide access to the Tasman Heights subdivision and Coastal Views Lifestyle Village.
Communications manager at Nelson City Council, Paul Shattock, says work on the road is already underway and the intersection upgrade, including the traffic signals, are anticipated to be completed by June 2020.
The road will cross the Railway Reserve and the cycle path will need to be temporarily diverted.
It’s been a controversial project, with councillor Mel Courtney unsuccessfully lodging a notice of motion to council earlier this year, asking that the non-notified resource consent granted for the traffic lights be revoked.
The speed limit on that stretch of Waimea Rd was also reduced to 50km from 70km in May in preparation for the intersection upgrade.
Developers of the retirement village, Questral Corporation, say they can start work on the retirement village as soon as the road is in – although they have already been able to commence work on the care centre.
“We’re keen to get going. As soon as we get the green light, we’re underway,” managing director Simon O’Dowd told Nelson Weekly.
The vendor of the land and company undertaking the road and lights is contractor Kevin Blair.
“Our timing is around them finishing the road,” says Simon.
The Coastal Views Lifestyle Village will include residential units to house up to 300 people, including 180 standalone units, 60 apartments and 50 care beds.
It will also feature a rest home/ hospital, dementia unit, lodge, clubhouse, restaurants, indoor pool, movie theatre, gymnasium, spa, hairdressing salon and chapel.
Simon says, although they have had some anecdotal interest, they can’t actively promote the village until it is registered.
Council says they will be working closely with the developer to finalise the cycleway underpass under the new road, and the path will need to be temporarily diverted during the construction process.
