Craig and Jill Hart are developing a unique community just four kilometres from Palmerston North’s city boundary, where the dream of rural living exists without the obligations of a large lifestyle block.
Hartwell will, when completely developed, be a park-like environment with 56 low density residential sections, tremendous views across the Tararua Ranges and the wind farm, acres of green fields, walking tracks, and lush native plants.
Hartwell is a new concept for Palmerston North and the Manawatu, whereby buyers purchase a section and through an incorporated society become the joint owners of significant parcels of land which are part of the subdivision for aesthetic and recreational purposes.
“This is unique for Palmerston North, and means home owners own their section but also have the enjoyment of much larger pieces of land,” Craig says. Craig and Jill have been planting out Hartwell for the past 14 years and continue to do so.
More than 70,000 plants have been planted so far including oak trees in the streets and natives in the gullies, boundaries, and shelter belts, as well as in the subdivision’s own treated wastewater disposal fields, where a variety of wet-loving natives look very attractive as well as fulfilling their role of absorbing water.
There are large swathes of land, paths down through the bush, and Craig has built a path down to what they call ‘the secret pond’.
There are four large ponds on the property and the children living at Hartwell have been fishing for eels, catching tadpoles and frogs, building huts in the bush, and generally living a life that children living in the city don’t get to do. “The young children can meander from house to house in a relatively safe environment,” Craig says.
“By meandering from house to house they have tended to become a bit oblivious to the variety of ages that are here. For the children, their fellow residents either young or old are all friends.”
Craig and Jill moved in to their new home at Hartwell nine years ago, and have since sold 20 sections. Another 16 are coming to market this spring, with the remainder expecting to be released by next spring.
All of the road construction and provision of services has been completed, so those settling into their new homes at Hartwell can do so without the rumble of passing trucks and trailers.
Since the objective at Hartwell is to create a park like environment, homes, accessory buildings, and living spaces immediately surrounding dwellings may be screened or fenced for the purposes of
privacy, security, and shelter, but lot boundaries can be left as open grassed areas, or marked with appropriate planting, or post and rail fences no more than 1.2 metres high.
Hartwell is being marketed by Eileen Farquhar and Rachelle Tremewan from Professionals Real Estate Palmerston North.
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Hartwell offers a park-like environment with 56 low density residential sections, with acres of green fi elds, waterways, walking
tracks, and lush native plants.
