Michaels Avenue Reserve upgrade
Overview
| Background
| Draft landscape master plan
| Have your say
Background
Michaels Avenue Reserve is part of a network of parks within the Ellerslie recreation precinct that are dedicated to the provision of
organised sport facilities. The site is zoned a mix of open space two, three and four, which relates to predominant site use including:
- organised sport (cricket and soccer)
- community facilities such as the Ellerslie recreation centre
- wetland amenity (historic remnant with links to the greater wetland system at Waiatarua Reserve)
- playground facility
- informal play and recreation opportunities.
Michaels Avenue Reserve has limited road frontage and poorly defined access points. The reserve has vehicle and pedestrian access from
Michaels Avenue and Elwood Place. Additional pedestrian access is from the northern end of Michaels Avenue, Ellerslie Park Road and Aaron
Street.
The reserve is one of the primary open spaces for the central Ellerslie area. It sits within the Ellerslie growth area, which is priority
one under the Auckland Urban Living Growth Management Strategy. It is envisaged that with increased growth there will be increased demand for
open space and recreation opportunities.
The reserve is, however, not used to its full potential due to the limited capacity of the lower playing fields, poor condition of the
existing wetland, and the lack of pleasant areas and facilities to attract users.
The Ellerslie Sport Club and the Ellerslie Racing Pigeon Club have been granted leases on the reserve and have invested in the development
of their facilities and clubrooms. Of these two groups, the Ellerslie Sports Club maintains an active and committed membership. The site also
hosts the Ellerslie Recreation Centre, which is a multi-use facility managed for Council by the YMCA. Council are currently in discussions
with the Ellerslie Racing Pigeon Club about relocating the club to Ellerslie Domain.
Representatives of the Ellerslie Sports Club, representing the Ellerslie cricket and soccer clubs, have worked with council officers over
the last couple of years in discussing the need to:
- upgrade the lower sports field playing surfaces, currently subject to drainage issues
- increase the number of playing fields within the area, primarily to cater for significant growth in junior soccer
- relocate and upgrade the current public amenities building by creating a new combined facility with amenities at ground level and a new
clubroom facility above.
These discussions resulted in the sports club creating a 'concept redevelopment plan' for the reserve. The sports club presented their
concept plan to the Maungakiekie Community Board in February 2004, and the board gave support in principle to the concept.
The sports club 'concept redevelopment plan' considered the needs of the club and represented a significant change to the reserve. Given
the extent of change proposed and the need to balance the club's recreation needs with the wider community use of the park, a landscape master
plan for the reserve was agreed to be developed by council.
There are a number of decisions regarding the improvement planned for Michaels Ave that have already been agreed to in principle by the
Maunagakiekie Community Board these include:
- revised layout and improved surface for the lower playing fields
- new dedicated all weather training and junior football area with associated lighting
- new public changing facilities.
Published July 2007
