Historic Reserve status
13 November 2013
"The Council approved the reclassification of the area around the house to historic reserve in August 2013. All that is left to do now is for it to be published in the gazette and registered with LINZ. This work is done through the Property Group. This is one of around 12 reserve areas that need to be gazetted.
"We currently have a large quantity of work with the Property Group from previous reserve classification processes a lot older than this one so we are getting the Property Group to do this first. In addition they are working on around 70 reserve areas to be classified during the Suburban Management plans process."
"So that is a long way of saying that it will not be done this year but is planned to be completed in 2014. Certainly if not before June (due to budget), in July."
Mike Oates, Manager Open Space & Rec Planning, Wellington City Council
AGM Glenside Progressive Assn. Inc.
15 July 2013
Oliver Baker, City Care, presents a talk to the Glenside Progressive Assn. Inc. about the restoration project for the Halfway House.
Site visit
7 May 2013
An on-site visit was held with Nia Afoa, City Council Project Manager, Charles Gordon, City Council Landscaper, Oliver Baker, City Care Project Manager and Jan Voss & Claire Bibby of Glenside Progressive Assn. Inc.
Foundations
- There is no evidence of the foundations of an earlier building.
- The front part of the house is on fill, which may have come from the cutting behind the house. The back part of the house is on solid ground.
- The foundations are dry and clean. The piles are trees that have been sawed into rounds. One of these rounds is from a tree that has been burned, perhaps in a bush fire, before it was used in the piles.
- The wood is matai.
Chimney deconstruction
- As the chimney’s were being removed, rods were found built into the fireplace. Pots were hung from these rods, to heat over the fire.
- The rods in the chimney are in storage. Council don't have any plans for them at this time except to keep them stored safe.
- The bricks are being stored at a Council storage facility.
- All bricks removed will return to site when required for the chimney rebuild.
Wallpaper
- City Care have tried to remove sections of paper from each wall as a sample to ensure that all types of wallpaper have been captured.
- Wall paper samples are currently being stored safely.
- All walls have been photographed along with the samples..
Ian Bowman has done a photographic inventory of the interior. He is discussing with a paper conservator about identification and possible dating through wallpaper history and conservation societies and then conservation of important samples and writing a report with recommendations.
Historic Reserve status
28 January 2013
The reserve status change is under-way. It went to committee late 2012 with recommendation to change to Historic Reserve. This was agreed and then went to public submissions.
It will now go back to Council for final agreement and once this is done, then goes through the final gazetting process with Department of Conservation.
Vikki Muxlow, Project Officer, Wellington City Council
Restoration
13 September 2012
The latest is that work has started.
All of the wall linings (mainly pinex, hardboard), architraves, skirting etc have been removed, leaving the scrim & sarking on. All sound and authentic material able to be reused has been stockpiled in the rooms ready for labelling and then storing.
The floorboards in all of the downstairs rooms have been lifted. Those in suitable condition have been retained and stockpiled in the room, ready for labelling and storing.
The doors will be taken off by the end of this week ready for labelling and storing.
An onsite meeting has been organised for next week for the archaeologist, Mary O’Keeffe and Council heritage officers to come through and have a look at what has been uncovered. In particular Mary will have a look at what is lying on the ground (at a quick glance there are some bottles, a few broken pieces of crockery and lots of general rubble). Ian Bowman will also have a look, but likely at a separate meeting.
Following the meetings a container will be delivered to site and the materials removed from the house and stored in the containerOnce the materials are removed, engineers will undertake a final visit and then complete the structural drawings.
- Once drawings are completed we will apply for building consent.
- Once consent is approved we can begin work on the repiling and the lowering of the ground level under the floor boards, to comply with the current building regulations.
- Once all ground work is completed work will begin at the top of the house, roof, chimneys, weatherboards down to the ground.
At some point the house will be scaffholded, though the timing of this still needs to be determined whether it is before or after the piling work. Our expectation is that all consents & the re-piling work will be completed by Christmas, and we will have started work on the roof & exterior of the house which will then continue over the summer months.
Ian Bowman has written a Conservation Plan specifically for the House (completed in 2004) and this is the basis for the restoration work.
Historic Reserve status
With regards to the reclassification of the land, this process is well under-way with the submission period now closed. 4 submissions were received for Glenside Reserve, all in support of the reclassification to historic reserve. The next step is for officers to report back to Council with the results of the submissions and seek final approval for the reclassification. Council is then required to seek approval from the Department of Conservation. We hope to have Council approval and to have notified the Department of Conservation by Christmas.
Vikki Muxlow, Parks & Gardens, Wellington City Council
Historic Reserve status
18 June 2012
e-mail sent to Historic Places Trust, Onslow Historic Society and interested parties
Wellington City Council has notified its intention to change the status of part of the Glenside Reserve from Open Class B to Historic.
Halfway House, on Glenside Reserve, (legally described as section 23 Porirua District, Lot 15 DP 10905 and Pt Closed Road SO1861, held in Certificate of Title WN574/135). This is to be reclassified from Recreation Reserve to Historic Reserve.
Please note that the Council is required to submit any proposal to reclassify or classify recreation reserve land to the Minister of Conservation for final approval.
The Glenside Progressive Assn. Inc. suggested this change some years ago, when City Council proposed amending the Reserve classifications to enable activities to take place on the Reserve land in keeping with the historic nature of the house and its surroundings.
Claire Bibby, Glenside Progressive Association Inc.
Restoration & Historic Reserve status
12 June 2012
Firstly in the Dominion Post today (on the Our Wellington Page under the public notices section) is the notice about the reclassifying of a number of parcels of Council owned reserve-land. One of these is the parcel for the Halfway House, which is being reclassified to Historic Reserve. I have attached the link to the article which gives the details about what’s happening, and dates if you wanted to make a submission.
With regards to the house, we are still making our way through some of the details for the planning stage – specifically around the piling. Testing has been undertaken on site to look at the depths required for repiling. It varies up to 2m around the house, which means we will need to micropile (do it from inside the building, lifting up the floor boards). It’s what we thought we would have to do (while always hoping maybe not) so continuing to work through the details of how this is done so we can then apply for consent. Insulation of some sort will be installed under the floorboards however until the final floor level height is finalised we can’t determine what form of insulation it will be.
Our aim is that all work involving digging into the ground is done at the same time, so this will include digging for sewer/storm water pipes as well as the piling etc. Following feedback from the meeting we are looking at installing some form of tank to capture storm water, so this can be used for the garden etc, but we still need to have a piped connection for any overflow (once the tank is full).
Realistically timing wise, it’s likely the major work will start on site in September, however always hoping we may be able to make this sooner depending on the consenting process and availability of contractors.
Sorry it all seems so slow, but I’ve learnt with these types of projects it’s often small steps as there’s so much detail to work through. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch, otherwise I will come back to you with more updates as they happen.
Vikki Muxlow, Project Officer, Parks & Gardens. Wellington City Council
Restoration
11 May 2012
Council currently has funding confirmed to begin work. We have also been successful with an Environment & Heritage grant from NZ Lottery Grants Board. This funding will be used for the preliminary work around structural plans, drawings, inspections and then to undertake work on the exterior of the house initially, including re-piling and re-roofing, and general weather proofing (windows, weather-boards, chimneys etc). Once this is completed, work will then begin on the interior - maintaining the existing layout of the house, but renewing all services & interior surfaces and furnishings.
Future funding is being sought through the Long Term Plan to complete the work over the next 3 years. Involved in the work are Councils' facilities maintenance contractor City Care with support from Heritage Architect & Conservator Ian Bowman and Archaeologist Mary O'Keeffe.
To date we've nearly completed the drawings, have camera'ed drains in the ground and just installed new electrical connection to the house. As soon as the drawings are finalised then we'll be applying for consent for the re-piling and getting under-way with this work. Once that's done, we'll be starting at the top (roof, chimneys) then working down towards the ground, weather-boards, windows, doors etc.
Plans have been drawn up based on the existing layout of the house. They are proposed, and are required for the consent for the repiling work (the layout of the house doesn't affect where or how the re-piling is done but we require plans for the consent process). We've used the existing layout, to retain as much of the existing character and heritage fabric and where possible have not altered any walls, rooms etc.
The only area that has been altered is around the kitchen bathroom area (ground floor), this has been "rejigged" to combine a toilet /laundry and allow an additional toilet off one of the two front rooms (possible community type rooms which would require an accessible toilet be provided).
Historic Reserve status
Another thing underway is the reclassification of the land around the house. We have surveyed off all of the grass area (from horse paddock fences down to garden centre fencing, the driveway as the edge) and it is being proposed to reclassify this section Historic Reserve, more in keeping and better reflecting the values of the reserve and the significance of the house. The reminder of Glenside Reserve will remain as is. This process is underway, going to Councils Strategy & Policy Committee next week.
Vikki Muxlow, Project Officer, Parks & Gardens. Wellington City Council
Restoration
2 February 2012
The overall plan is staged restoration work completed over the next 5 years as funding allows. Council currently has funding approved though this year’s annual plan to begin restoration works. We have also applied to NZ Lotteries for a grant and will find out in March whether this has been successful.
With the current funding we have, the plan is:
- Work to start around end of February
- Work is based on the requirements outlined in the conservation plan.
- Work being managed through Council contractors City Care, with Ian Bowman (Conservation Architect) providing heritage support
First stage is to focus on the exterior of the house, making it weather tight and safe. Work will include excavating small amount of soil away from house, remove unwanted external structures & small amount of asbestos, repiling, reroofing (replacing framing/rafters as required), weatherboard repairs, window repairs.
The amount of work completed and timing is dependent on available funding and final costs. Future funding is subject to the next Long Term Plan and Councillor’s priorities. We will have a clearer idea of this by June 2012.
Vikki Muxlow, Project Officer, Parks & Gardens. Wellington City Council
Historic Reserve status
5 December 2011
Wellington City Council start the process for reclassifying the site to separate the house and gardens from the Recreational Reserve status and more appropriately (we believe) designate it as Historic Reserve. This requires some initial survey work (commencing shortly) and then a reserves classification process, including public consultation (probably early next year - February or so).
Amber Bills, Manager, Community Engagement & Reserves, Parks & Gardens, Wellington City Council