On Meola Road just before the bridge and Seddon Fields is an area that was used as Dempsey Wood’s material storage area during the construction of Meola Road, This site would make a great overflow carpark for the soccer players, instead of them parking on grass areas. All that would be required would be gravel instead of hay.
It was also used as a storage area for all the bluestone kerb blocks that were removed from the length of Meola. Where are they now? They fetch around $45 each on TradeMe. These city assets need to be accounted for.
Further along the road, dog walkers are also parking on the grass as there are insufficient car parks for the users. Simply by moving the boulders forward 2 metres, closer to the tree, there would be space to add an additional 10 carparks to the other side of the existing carpark. I have proposed additional parks but this is the least that should be done immediately. Unfortunately, the City Vision members of the Waitematā Local Board are too anti-car to approve this, even when one of them’s husband has a dog walking business. Go figure!
I don’t play soccer or have a dog. My concern is purely empathetic.
Gael Baldock, community advocate