A dog-sled operation planned for Alexandra has leapt over its first hurdle.
The Vincent Community Board has agreed Under Dog NZ Ltd should be allowed to operate tours on council-owned land, on the west side of State Highway 8, in an area known as the Pines.
The venture still has to gain resource consent.
Under Dog should pay $750 in rent for the first year of operation,with a rent review based on user numbers after that time, the board decided at its meeting last week.
The sledding company, owned by Fleur and Curt Perano, had more than 17 years' experience working with sled dogs and operated in winter at the Snow Farm in the Cardrona Valley.
They planned to operate two tours daily and to have no more than five guided dog teams on the trails at any time.
"I think we should give them a shot and see how it goes,'' board member Barrie Wills said.
"We walk in the Pines regularly and I can't see this being a problem. It might be a good thing for the security of the area - they'll have an overview of people dropping rubbish and things like that.''
Clyde bypass
More homework will be done before any decision is made on the future of heavy traffic in Clyde's historic precinct.
A petition asking for a heavy traffic bypass of the precinct and a reduced speed limit of 30kmh in that part of the town was tabled at last month's Central Otago District Council meeting.
The Vincent Community Board decided last week to seek options from an engineer and also to get more traffic analysis before making a decision.
Board member Malcolm Topliss said making the street one-way might be an option and other board members asked whether pedestrian crossings would slow down traffic.
Council's infrastructure services manager Jon Kingsford said restricting the width of the street, adding a series of chicanes or modifying the streetscape might be other options.
More traffic data would be available early in the new year, he said.
Board member Barrie Wills said obviously service vehicles would need access to the businesses in the street.
Board chairwoman Clair Higginson said the topic "might be something the Clyde community plan group could get its teeth into.''
