Historic Hoffman Kiln site tidied
The grounds of Palmerston North’s historic Hoffman Kiln site have been cleared of weeds and junk after city council officers spent a day labouring.
Nine staff dedicated their annual community day to helping the trust that was set up to manage the city’s most highly-rated heritage site with overdue maintenance.
Trust chairman Cliff Wilson said without cash and labour, it had been hard to gain momentum to maintain and improve the grounds, and there had been complaints about the scruffy condition of the property next to the Kauri Health Centre in Featherston St.
The council staff had done ‘‘a wonderful job’’ making it presentable again, he said.
Council senior planner Jeff Baker said council staff had a relationship going back over a decade in trying to ensure the future of the kiln, and were thrilled to be able to help getting the grounds back under control.
Armed with weed eaters, they had cleared the site, mown lawns, removed rubbish, taken out an old galvanised pipe fence, and pruned trees.
Wilson said the trust would be holding regular working bees to keep the site as the council staff had left it, and would develop a three-year plan to enhance and improve the historic brick kiln. It had recently been able to restore electricity to the site after receiving a $40,000 Central Energy Trust grant.
Having the power on was of benefit to the nearby coffee cart, which provided a positive presence on the site, and meant there were lights in the old office building. There were plans to install lighting within the kiln that would help create the illusion of the former fiery glow from inside.
The next challenges were connecting to the water and wastewater services.
Site work was planned that would enable more people to see and enjoy the protected kiln, ‘‘without having to put their galoshes on’’.
The next of a regular series of working bees is on Sunday, March 11, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Volunteers are welcome. On the land behind the kiln, Murphy Property Development Ltd had applied for a building consent for an up-market childcare centre with capacity for up to 70 children.
Director Graeme Murphy said the feasibility of building a handful of small homes for the elderly, right next door to the health centre, was being explored.