Grove Street’s hidden gem gets a makeover
29/03/2023 11:26am
Nelson City Council is in the process of transforming land purchased at 52 Grove Street to extend and improve access to Grove Reserve.
Most of the landscaping has been finished, with planting and grass sowing due to occur in autumn when the weather is wetter and cooler. Once we have had good grass growth, the new area will be open to the public.
The reserve is currently partially occupied by Grove Street Kindergarten and the Nelson Community Toy Library, but the children’s play equipment outside the leased areas is for the general public. Access and visibility of the reserve was very limited, and Council’s aim is to return the purchased site to grass so the amenity can be enjoyed more widely.
Group Manager Community Services Andrew White says opening up and extending the size of the reserve is part of the work Council is doing to encourage more people to live close to the city centre.
“Grove Reserve was a little hard to find, and we’d love the community to be able to use it more. Housing intensification is a key priority for Council and that means we need to make sure people living near the city have access to good quality open space areas.”
The reserve now enjoys a 15m wide frontage, which provides direct visibility from the street, including the play area. This is a significant improvement to safety and functionality.
Grove Street Kindergarten and the Nelson Community Toy Library remain on site.
The house on the property was first offered to several relocation companies and then carefully deconstructed with salvageable parts removed and recycled to reduce material going to landfill.
Budget for the purchase and landscaping required for this project has come from Development Contributions, paid to Council by housing developers to reflect the costs of providing the infrastructure required by new housing developments. This means that there is no impact on rates.
