Developer can’t wander down Memory Lane
Rested for Turbos’ opener
A development evokes happy memories for one man, but residents say his name for their road sounds like an avenue through a cemetery.
Manawatu property developer Murray Williamson spent $300,000 on a private road and is surprised he has to fight to keep his preferred name for it – Memory Lane.
The whimsically named road has driven a wedge between him and the section owners of a pair of developments on Colyton Rd, near The Herb Farm, north of Ashhurst.
It has only been six months since the street sign went up, but already it’s sparked arguments and a petition to the Manawatu District Council to rename the road Reighton Lane.
Memory Lane stirs up only negative connotations for residents, who fear cringeworthy conversations, jokes, an association with cemeteries and even depressed property prices.
The council agreed to change the name, so long as the people who signed the petition meet the cost of renaming the road, but the battle’s not over yet. The decision is to be reviewed next week.
Williamson created the two developments. He built, owned and named the road, and was furious the council was changing its name.
‘‘It cost me $300,000 to put in. You’d think I could name my own bloody road,’’ Williamson said.
‘‘I never thought this would happen. It’s blown my socks off.’’
He said the council’s decision was surprising, because it had signed off on the name originally.
Residents had made several heated phone calls to Williamson to complain. At one point, someone ripped the sign down, replacing it with a cardboard ‘‘Ross Rd’’ sign.
‘‘It was nothing short of vandalism. But I didn’t go to the police, because I want to deal with things peacefully,’’ Williamson said.
Section owner Danny Mckenna organised and co-signed the petition, with all six of the other section owners on the road.
According to council rules, if someone living or owning land on a road wants to rename it, they need to get a petition signed by more than 80 per cent of the owners and occupiers on the street for the council to consider it.
Mckenna said no-one wanted to live on Memory Lane, and it would hurt the resale value of their property if it was not changed.
Residents were sick of hearing the same few puns over and over again, he said.
‘‘Ever since it’s gone up I’ve been getting endless stick from people.
‘‘Like, ‘hey Danny, you taken your wife for a stroll along Memory Lane lately?’ Or ‘well, doesn’t that take you back down Memory Lane?’’’
When he first bought his section from Williamson 81⁄2 years ago, buyers were told the development would be called ‘‘Reighton’s Gate’’.
Williamson’s ex-wife, and the development’s co-owner, Vicki Byrnes, said that name had been floated, but never finalised.
She had been keen on Reighton’s Gate as a reference to Williamson’s ancestors, but he had never liked it. And since Williamson was getting full ownership of the developments in their separation, Memory Lane was his decision.
The road has been there since the first development was finished about a decade ago. But it was too short and undeveloped to merit an official name, until Williamson upgraded the road during the second development just over six months ago.
Williamson said his family had been in the area since 1896, and they had made a lot of happy memories on the land the developments were on.
Council spokesman Paul Stein said the owner of a private road could generally name it whatever they wanted.
‘‘As long as it meets guidelines, and isn’t something rude or inappropriate, the council gives it their tick of approval.’’
The council’s policy states it does not generally encourage the changing of road names, because of the cost and potential confusion.