New Year's Eve and the start of a very busy 2025

 New Year's Eve, 31/12/2024

It is going to be exciting, that's for sure.  According to the Chinese calendar, as of 29 January 2025 it will be the Year of the Snake.  Is this a good omen for us?  Apparently so. The year will bring wisdom, agility, and strategic insight. It is a celestial shift that promises a wave of fresh energy and opportunities, which is a very good case for optimism.

Questions are still coming in, and being carefully noted by Ken (chair) and myself (major works) to pose to the project team when the big meetings start up again. We have been given a pile of architectural drafts and schedules, which we are going through slowly, as they are very detailed, and very technical. However, they are a big help in working out the thrust of our questioning.  Emailed queries are particularly welcome, as they can be printed off to be taken to the workshop tables.

Notices have been sent out by the landlords to tenants on levels 13 and 12.  They have been advised that:

* The apartment will have to be vacated for up to 12 or 13 weeks

* All of the furniture belonging to the tenant will have to be moved out

* While it will not be possible to visit the apartment while work is being done there, it will be possible once the work there is finished. Moving back in is possible, too.

* But there will be a great deal of noise and dust, and once scaffolding is up (while remedying the weather tightness), there will be a loss of privacy.

* The foyer and mail room will be accessible throughout the project.

Elevators.   We are having an intermittent problem with the floor buttons on lift 1, the southern lift.  I have found myself that the button, when first pressed, does not work.  The elevator does not move.  This can be a bit scary, but the remedy is easy.  Just press the open doors button, and then after the door has opened and closed again, press the button of the floor you want slowly, and evenly.  Hold it to the count of three.

Have a safe New Year's Eve, and Happy New Year's day tomorrow.

~ Joan Druett, Major Works and Liaison Building Manager

   

Greetings from the Chair ... plus ...

 22/12/24

It has been a very busy year for Herbert Gardens but we have finally a path forward for the remediation supported decisively at the EGMs in July and December. A number of people have worked very hard over 6 years since the Kaikōura earthquake to reach this point.

Next year will be one of construction, relocation, storage of goods and also noise as the project develops. As a Board we have sent out a number of notes pre Christmas to keep you better informed on the implementation of the project. More will follow.

So I hope you all have a good holiday season over Christmas and New Year

Ken Geard, Board Chairman

There are still printed wish forms on the foyer table, and I will print more off as needed.  Some have been filled in and handed back to me already, which is totally great.  Please do fill them in (either online or on the print form) before the rush of Christmas and then the shutdown of New Year take over your entire lives.

Now is a good time, too, to clear out those cupboards and drawers. I tidied my desk the other day -- two trips to the skip! The pre-Christmas skip filled in record time, and another will be ordered in January. And the Charity Bin awaits, as well.  There has been one request for a charity truck in January; all we need is another, and the arrangement will be made after the New Year. 

Damien flies off to Ireland today.  We wish him well, and though we have his contact details, we will only interrupt his family time when utterly essential.  Meantime, Brigid has taken over the reins, and I will be liaising with her.  The phone number -- 027 242 1227 -- is the same.

SHOW AND TELL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 

Brigid and I will also be setting up the Show and Tell material in the Building Manager's office, for all those interested to view while one or the other of us is there.

Slowing down at last

 21/12/24

For me, a day without meetings, the first for quite a long while. For others, it is the countdown to Christmas and summer holidays.  As children would say, just four sleeps to Santa Day.

Decanting:  Last week Luke, the assessor for Conroy furniture movers, scoped every apartment to assess how much could be internally stored (in rooms where no remediation is needed) and how much has to be taken off-site to their storage facilities.  Fiona Conroy, the owner of the company, has received Damien's report, and will be working on pricing now that Luke has finished the surveys. 

It looks as if most of the A apartments will have to be fully decanted, and certainly the B apartments, as it is there that the window of the third bedroom has to be taken out to make an entry for the hoist. The C apartments are a mixture, because tenanted apartments will be either fully or largely empty of furniture, and most of the D apartments can be managed onsite, as there the work will be done in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the storage cupboard.

Show and Tell: Documents listing questions that came up at the Show and Tell with the answers composed by the Project Team have been sent out. I will also post them online as a special edition of the Newsflash, and leave some hard copies on the foyer table.

The Wish List:  Rachel at TBIG has been hard at work, first working up the Show and Tell document, and also on the Wish List. She has made up a questionnaire for you to fill in and you should have received this by email as well.  I will also leave printed copies on the table.  You are welcome to take a copy and fill it in.  Then please return it to me, either putting it in my mailbox (7D) or bringing it up to my apartment, where I will be happy to answer questions -- if in, though I should be around throughout the next couple of weeks.

Rachel says could you please, please have the completed form done and dusted ASAP, so I can take them to her on January 9, 2025.  Aoraki will file them, and log the wishes into their database.  

It is all part of the plan to get your apartments back to you just the way you want them.

Those books!  We are wondering about an HG book fair.  We could advertise with Neighbourly, put out trestles in the visitors' carpark on a sunny day in February, sell unwanted books and give the money to charity.  Any comments?  All ideas welcome!

WHAT WE DID IN THE WEEK

 20/12/24

Christmas might be fun, but it also means a lot has to be done before the holiday.

So, there have been many meetings. And moving parts that had to be closed out during the week.  An important moving part is the resident survey. Rachel at TBIG has worked hard on a question and answer sheet, which should be in your inbox soon.  It can be filled in electronically, but if you prefer to print it off and fill it in by hand, just pop the finished survey into my mailbox, 7D, or give it to me personally.  Just do it!  As it is important that it be handed into Rachel when she gets back to work on 9 January.  Not long now!

There are lots of jobs slated for January, particularly the floor-by-floor plans that Marc and Max at Studio Pacific Architects will be working on.  The structural Building Consent filed with the WCC this week will result in a lot of queries.  (Well, you know what bureaucracy is like.)  And the team at Aoraki will be busy answering them. 

At the same time, they will be gathering tenders from sub-contractors.  And the schedule for replacing our lifts has to be coordinated with the strengthening work, so Manos at Spectrum and Murray at Otis are in communication already.

Damien will be winging his way to Ireland this Sunday, and Brave Brigid will be taking over.  We all wish Damien a safe and pleasant journey and a great time at home, and look forward to seeing Brigid around.

New book

Brian Easton (7A) has produced yet another worthy book, In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong 2017-2023, published by Kea Point Press.  I have borrowed a copy and look forward to reading it.  He always has something important and relevant to say.

 

The Fix for Fire Safety

 18/12/24

Before and after views of bedroom 3 in B apartments

There are three major fixes planned for Herbert Gardens.

There is the strengthening to +40% of the New Building Standard, attention to weather tightness (those leaks!) and bringing the building up to fire safety standards.

This last, as we have learned, is going to affect the third bedroom in all B apartments.

And here is the nitty gritty from Max of Studio Pacific Architects.

One of the most important life safety upgrades planned in the upcoming works is addressing the vertical spread of fire between apartments on different levels. Currently, the south-facing window in Bedroom 3 of the B-Type apartments does not meet the NZ Building Code requirements to stop the vertical spread of fire, as there is not enough vertical separation between the windows. Other windows throughout the building are protected by the projecting ledges between floors. The Building Code requires a vertical separation of 1.5 metres between windows. Currently  there is a vertical separation of 1.140 metres between the B-Type apartment Bedroom 3 windows. 

 

There are two options to address this issue:

 

1. Install a fire rated window in place of the existing window
2. Install a non-fire rated window in place of the existing, with a higher sill to achieve the required vertical separation of 1.5 m between windows, and a fire-rated spandrel constructed below.

 

Fire rated windows are expensive and have specific requirements regarding openable windows, along with thicker frames and glazing. A typical window suite cannot be used as a fire rated window. Given the expense and restrictions of fire windows, the decision was made to proceed with option 2, and replace the Bedroom 3 window with a non-fire rated window and increase the spandrel height to 1.5m between windows.

 

The new window has been designed to match the appearance and proportions of the existing windows in the building. Below the new window will be two opaque glazed panes, concealing the fire rated spandrel which sits below the window. An external visualisation of these windows are attached in SK.104.

 

The fire-rated spandrel constructed below the window will be constructed of timber framing with a fire-rated plasterboard wall lining. When complete, internally this will look exactly like a typical plasterboard wall.

 

The approximate dimensions of the new window are as follows:

 

• Slab to existing window sill: 0.98m
• Slab to new window sill: 1.37m (raised by 0.39m from existing)
• Carpet to new window sill (assuming 20mm thick carpet and underlay): 1.35m 
• Size of new entire window: 2.47m (wide) x 2.55m (high)
• Size of new glazed window: 2.47m (wide) x 1.2m (high)

It's going to be a busy week ....

 16/12/24

Tena koutou!

It's going to be a busy week, and so I thought it might be appropriate to post this great graphic of Ngake and Whataitai, Wellington's two taniwha, who ruled here long ago, when Te Whanganui-a-Tara was just a lake.  Hearing the crash of the sea, they became envious, and whirled and whirled to break a passage to the waves and great depths.  And so, because of their great energy, the lake became our beautiful harbour. 

And because of the energy of shareholders and project teams, Herbert Gardens is going to be remediated, following the landslide vote to go ahead that was given last week.

Up until now, a lot of the energy has come from Damien, our Building Manager.  He certainly deserves a holiday, and so this Sunday, 22 December, he is flying off to Ireland to catch up with his folks.  He will return early February, in time to take over when Aoraki set up their worksite, and to oversee the first decant, of the apartments on the 13th floor.  Meantime Brigid will be taking over. Though I will be checking with Damien often, during all of January resident questions and ideas should be shared with her.

Tomorrow, there will be meetings.  As usual, I will be at the TBIG office at ten, for a conference with the project team from TBIG, Aoraki, Spectrum, Studio Pacific, and Quintons.  At 10.30 Ken and Tim will join us for a special decanting hui.  After that, HGNewsflash will be able to be a little more precise about dates and schedules -- but not entirely precise until the teams reconvene in January.

The skip is almost full, and it is planned to have another after Christmas.  It is satisfying to see that so many residents are having a good clean out.  On Wednesday an assessor from our chosen moving company will be visiting apartments according to the schedule that Damien has established, by making prior appointments with the residents.  It is then that we will have a good idea of which apartments have to be totally emptied, and those where furniture can be moved from rooms that have to be remediated to others that do not need work.

Meantime, it is a good idea to plan to pack up ornaments, artwork and books in good time before you have to leave your apartment, as it will make life so much easier.  And, if you get deliveries in sturdy boxes -- Wonky Box, HelloFresh, Laithwaites, and the like -- save those cartons as someone will always use them.

He rau ringa e oti ai -- Working together lightens the work.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS

 13/12/24

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS

Yes.  BOOKS!

We have a lot of books, and have to think about how to store them while our apartments are being remediated.

First, please do not put them (or cartons full of paper) into the skip, as it makes the skip too heavy.  The skip is weighed as it goes in and out of the tip, and if it is overweight, we will be charged.  Worse still, it makes it hard for the driver of the truck, as the vehicle becomes unbalanced.

There will be many books that you want to keep, and books that you want to consult or simply read during the project.  The movers of your furniture would much prefer you to have shifted those books before the decant, as they are time-consuming and heavy to carry, and we will be charged for that.

So ideas are being bandied about, such as using a dedicated garage (or your own garage) to safely store your library. If it is a garage that is not already full of a car, it could be easy.  There is also the option of using one of the garages on the top deck, which will be accessible by foot, though not by car.  All ideas welcome.  In the meantime think hard about what you would like to do with all those treasured books.

AND GOOD NEWS

Our chair, Ken Geard, has signed the contract for replacement lifts, and so the process is underway.  In 2026 we won't recognise our building, being beautifully remediated, and with swish new elevators.

We don't have a schedule yet, except for what Otis includes in their contract.

EVENTS MOVING FORWARD

 12/12/24

                                            

Do you have a tenant?

If so, and your tenant(s) live on the 12th or 13th floors, you will have received a notice from our Company Secretary, Shane Browning.

Level 13 apartments must be vacated by 12 March 2025

Level 12 apartments must be vacated by 28 March 2025

You are legally required to give your tenants 90 days notice, so if you haven't done it, do it now!

Is the apartment furnished? Because yes, the furniture has to go, too. As reported earlier, our preferred moving company is going through the building, estimating what has to go and what can stay, and you all should be aware of this.

And, too -- no food in the fridge or freezer, as the power will be turned off.

Make sure that you take all medications with you, and empty the booze cupboard, too!

And no, no one can return to the apartment during nights or weekends, as the levels being worked on will be sealed off, for safety and security.  So make sure you have what you need, including research materials if you are working on a project.  Or maybe even that book you intended to write.

How long will your apartment be out of reach?  We can't make even good guesses before the contract is signed and the building permit obtained, which will happen sometime in January.  In the meantime, think of roundabout 90 days, including the weekends and holidays when workmen will not be on the site.  It could be more or it could be less.  We simply do not know.

Garages.

Damien has done wonders with organising this.  Those whose garages or parking spaces will be requisitioned during the project are being shifted to garages on the lobby and basement levels.  Owners have been so outstandingly cooperative that it looks as if we will need to rent only one or two Wilson parking spaces.

Skip

A skip will be arriving tomorrow, ready for the pre-Christmas cleanout, and another will be ordered if needed.  And do not forget the charity bin!

Southern elevator

This poor old lift is experiencing the occasional bounce and delay.  If it arrives at a floor and the door does not open, please press the door button slowly, and it should open.  Otherwise, press the open door button.  And in every case, please inform Damien.

POST EGM UPDATE

 11/12/24

YOUR NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The new Board -- Ken, Steve Cantwell, Sally Schoon, Tim Matthews, and Joan -- staged their first Board meeting last night.  Shane Browning and Monique were there, too.

First on the agenda was the election of officers.  And it was quick and easy.  KEN GEARD is now the chairman and STEVE CANTWELL is the deputy chair.  As there are (currently) so few of us, we needed to have a deputy, in case one or the other was not available, for some reason.

Today, events are moving fast.  Our vote to remediate has really kicked the project into action. People in hi-vis vests are walking in and out -- people from Aoraki, Studio Pacific, TBIG and Otis.  Some of the faces will be familiar to you already.  Others are bound to become easily recognised, as the project advances.  And, because of today's visits, contracts and costs can be firmed up, keeping us well within the budget.

As of the middle of next week, representatives of our chosen moving company will be coming, too.  There have to be decisions about which apartments need total decanting and storage, and those which need just partial decanting, where furniture can be moved the rooms that are already remediated.

COMPOST

A request from Judy Myers, who has been emptying the compost bins with Damien's help.  The avocado season is upon us (and are particularly good this year) but please, no avocado skins and stones in the compost.  The skins will not rot, and the stones sprout where avocado trees are not wanted.

Coffee grounds are fine, as are cut up tea bags.  And watermelon rinds are fine too, as long as they are cut up. But not the seeds.  And the same applies to pumpkins.

If you want to read the Newsflash in colour, just type "HGNewsflash" into your google search bar, and hit enter.  But in the meantime I will keep on putting printed copies (in black and white) on the foyer table.

YAY FOR THE NEWSFLASH

 10/12/24

YAY FOR THE NEWSFLASH

The EGM last night was a stunner.  What a wonderful result.  Now we can move on and forward, facing the huge amount of work to be done, and knowing that the ultimate result will be terrific.

The grand old lady will be restored to her original magnificence.  

So, today.

Another meeting at TBIG, where the questions raised during the very succesful Show and Tell will be discussed and explored.  Getting the project underway before Christmas is a huge plus, meaning that we can expect that the schedule for next year will be much more easily established.

This evening the new Board will assemble to elect officers and discuss our agenda. Replacement of the elevators is an important issue, as is the management of furniture removal or storage in rooms that have been remediated already.

Talking of that, I am reminded that a skip will be delivered before Christmas, ready for the clean out that lots of residents will be doing during the break.

The Charity Bin is filling up nicely with bagged and boxed donations.  And, if you have large items to give away please let Damien know, as when there is a big enough list, he will organise a truck from one of the charities to come and collect.

THE SHOW AND TELL

7/12/24                                              THE SHOW AND TELL SHOW

Marc and Martin explaining the details

The Show and Tell, in my humble estimation, was a roaring success.  Many thanks to Damien and Brigid, who organised the room so well, and to the teams from TBIG, Aoraki, and Studio Pacific who were so friendly and patient in explaining the plans and pictures they had put up on the walls.

In the morning, the team representatives were Chris, Martin, Marc and Gazelle, and in the afternoon Martin came back to support Max, Kirk, and Megan.  They seemed tireless, with an enthusiasm that seemed to enliven everyone they talked to.  Chris had a wonderful set of Aoraki plans, and sent me scans for future HGNewsflashes.   And oh, I found that the fire window I used in an earlier post to try to explain the remediation that will happen to the B apartment small bedroom window was the wrong sort.  What they are planning is a "fire spandrel."  Look it up, or (like me) wait for one to be installed for the mystery to be solved.  Whatever, I feel totally confident that they know what they are doing.

Another Show and Tell, managed by David Dunsheath, will be held in 6C over lunchtime on Saturday.

English Elm (Ulmus procera)

That is the big tree at the street end of our lower driveway.  On Thursday, mysteriously, Damien found a notice on our lobby door saying that the tree team of WCC are going to take it down.  But when I checked, the notice was gone.  Then it was even more mysteriously discovered on Damien's desk.  He put it on the foyer table, and it disappeared again.  Luckily, in the meantime I had taken a photo of it.

My first reaction is that it could not be done as it is a heritage tree.  Or so I thought.  On investigation, I found that though it might be historic, it is not rated heritage.  Not being a native probably made the difference.

However, it is an important tree.  Not only is it a good guide for taxi drivers to find the right driveway, but there are very few historic trees left in downtown Wellington. 

So Joy Dunsheath got on the phone, and worked the miracle.  There is a hold on its removal.

Floor plan

 

At yesterday's coffee meeting floor plans were handed around, and the residents there had fun working out what is going to happen, and where.  And here is the plan -- just a typical one, not representing any one floor.  Unfortunately, it is in colour, so you can see it properly only online, though photocopies will be left on the foyer table (please do not remove), and more will be on display in the Show and Tell tomorrow, Friday 3 December.  

First, the green, blue, yellow and purple lines about the whole building show the stages of scaffolding.  The entire building is not going to be scaffolded all at once, but in stages, as the work moves around. What I do know is that the green is the first stage, and will go up after the hoist has been established at the bottom of the back door steps.

Inside the building, green shows where the more minor work will happen -- fire seals on the doors leading in and out of the lift lobby is a good example.

Yellow shows work that will cause a moderate amount of disruption -- brackets in the bathroom and kitchen of apartment C, the corridor outside, and in the toilets of apartment A.

Purple shows areas of more major disruption -- removal and replacement of entire block walls in apartment C and apartment B; brackets placed around bedroom 3 of apartment B; columns remediated in apartment B and apartment A; brackets in the bathroom of apartment D and the hallway outside apartment A. 

The team at the Show and Tell sessions will be able to explain more.

If you click the image of the plan it should enlarge, enabling you to see the codes on the righthand side (the others have not been done yet).

GA-1 -- bracket in bathroom wall, then everything reinstated

GA-2 -- remove block wall between kitchen windows.  Kitchenjoinery removed, then reinstated after a steel stud wall has been built.  Ceiling and walls reinstated where necessary.

GA-3 -- Remove block wall in living area, replace with steel stud wall, then reinstate.

GA-4 -- Remove blockwall behind wardrobes, replace with steel stud wall, reinstate wardrobes.

GA-5 -- Smoke seals on entry door

GA-6 -- Remove existing glass and wood louvre, install fire rated mechanical grille and louvre

GA-7 -- Relocate water valves from riser to bathroom

GA-8 -- New fire alarm system in all rooms as required, hush button centrally located.

GA-9 -- Remove 500mm strip of asbestos ceiling from area of work, encapsulate with new board ceiling, repaint entire ceiling to match.

1A-1 -- Kitchen door framed over on corridor side, current configuration retained.

1A-2 -- Jamb and sill repair

1A-3 -- Jamb repair

1A-4 -- Remove existing glass and wood louvre, install fire rated mechanical grille and louvre

1A-5 -- Where WC and shower room combined in fill existing shower vent.

What shareholders have to manage themselves:

Cosmetic repairs, eg plastering cracks; new carpets, except where the old carpets have been put back; decorations except those impacted by the works; electrical upgrades; fitouts, finishes and other enhancements.

Shareholder options:

If requested not to replace joinery, carpets, cabinetry, baths, showers, kitchens, a clean space will be left, with plumbing and electrical outlets all in working order.

THE WISH LIST

 6/12/24

At the well-attended foyaer meeting on Monday, residents were encouraged to ask questions, not just at the meeting, but by writing in the "wishlist" book that I have made up.  It looks rough and ready, but hopefully it will work.  The pages are ruled off for different apartments, giving space for writing down wants -- such as wanting a clean floor for recarpeting later, or a cleaned-out kitchen area ready for the installation of a wonderful new kitchen.  Emails can also be sent to me, at druettjo@gmail.com or to Damien, at hg.buildingmanager@gmail.com  Emailed queries will be answered, and the email itself printed off and put into the book.

Well, there has been a question about garages.   As you can see in this bird's-eye view of the property, the four garages that make up the southern side of the construction parking area (43, 44, 45, 46, on the main deck) will be used for storage by Aoraki.  Damien is working hard to find alternative garages, so that the owners will be able to park elsewhere on the site. There are also the parking spaces along the wall that abuts to the Terrace footpath. They are numbered 1 to 9.  Damien is finding alternatives for these, too.

Another complication is the six garages on the top cardeck, 48 to 53.  While Aoraki will not be using them, access during the project is limited to foot traffic. Consequently, their owners will not be able to drive their cars in and out -- though they will be able to get at anything stored there, via the steps and a roped off pedestrian way. Damien is working on alternatives for these, too.

The third bedroom in the B apartments.

This is a really interesting question that comes up often.  The window and the blockwork below it will be taken out to make access for the workers and materials. It will be reached by a hoist, which will be sited at the bottom of the steps to the back door.  A very useful hoist, as Aoraki have offered it for decanting furniture as people move in and out.  What will the window look like when it is reinstalled? Like a window!  A window that can be opened and shut.  Equipped with a fire spandrel to help make our building safe.

I found this photo of a fire window online at https://www.smokecontrol.co.nz/shop/visioneering-automatic-closing-fire-windows/  Exploring the site gives a good idea of what might be planned.

Charity Bin

Residents are being really good about bagging or boxing donations in the charity bin.  Please keep it up.  And, if enough people want to donate items of furniture to charity, please tell Damien, as when there is enough on offer, he will organise a charity truck to come and collect it all.  As for throwouts, there will be another skip before Christmas.