OLD BARN SITE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 82, 8 April 1931, Page 9

OLD BARN SITE.

QUESTION OF FUTURE USE.

TRANSPORT BOARD AND COUNCIL.

KEEN" ENCOUNTER" AT INQUIRY.

A keen encounter between Mr. J. A. C Allum, chairman of the Auckland Transport Board, and Mr. Tom Bloodworth, chairman of the Town Planning Committee of the Auckland City Council, and Mr. J. Tyler, city engineer, was a feature of an inquiry held to-day before Mr. J. W. Mawson, director of town planning, regarding the use of the site of the old Ponsonby tram barn. The hearing was the result of an appeal by the Transport Board against the determination of the City Council to refuse a permit for the disposal o? a portion of a barn site at the corner of Jervois Road and Salisbury Street, Ponsonby, as business sites.

Evidence in support of the Transport Board's case was given by Mr. Allum, and also by Mr. T. B. Clay and an old resident of Ponsonby, Mr. J. Stitchbury. Mr. Tyler was the principal witness for the council. .

During the hearing Mr. Mawson said that until tho zoning proposals were made a part of the city town planning scheme and gazetted, the council would be in a position to amend them In any way or to lift its ban against the erection of business premises on the site in question. The counc.il had taken its action under interim controlling powers, and the incoming council could completely reverse the decision. " Unquestionably Residential." The district was unquestionably & residential area, said Mr. Tyler in his evidence, and it would remain as euch for at least another generation. It was not to be expected that a zoning scheme in built-up areas would entirely correct existing defects of development, but it was hoped to reduce future mistakes to a minimum. One of the primary objects of a zoning scheme,was the stabilisation of property valued, and it was claimed that the ordinance of the council would achieve this. If the request of the Transport Board were granted for the erection of shops and business premises on any portion of the barn site it would be difficult, on the ground of equity, to withhold future permits for similar buildings on any of the frontages on the north side from Wallace Street to Curran Street. It would virtually necessitate the zoning of all the frontages on the north jside in addition to those already zoned 'on the southern side for business purposes. That would mean the Betting aside of an area far in- excess, of the ultimate requirements and lead to one of the chief causes of unsatisfactory development of business centres. Unoccupied Shops. The area served had at present an I equivalent of 2593 dwellings, and could accommodate 3015. There were 158 shops, and 14 of these were now unoccupied'. From the aesthetic point of view, although the existence of shops on one side oil the street and residences only on the other side did not present the ideal picture* 1 it was claimed to be far superior to hopelessly mixed and broken frontages on both sides. Both the residential values on the northern side and the business values on the southern side would suffer if tiiat , course were adopted. There was a marked tendency in most of the suburbs towards the establish' inent of fairly well defined shopping areas within easy distance of the population. These were generally along the main roads and met local requirements. Amenities of District. Mr. Allum, in his evidence, said his board had no desire to interfere with the amenities of any district.- The present action was taken to. protect the interests of the ratepayers. It was not contemplated, when the application was made to' the council, that the use of the site would be restricted to residential purposes. After the council refused a permit for the disposal of the area aa business sites, the board asked for authority to sell at least three lots as business sites. This application was also declined. At a public auction none of the offers reached the upset prices, and representations were again made to the council, but without result. The board did not wish to be placed in the position of selling the land for residential purposes only, later to see-the embargo lifted and the block used for business purposes. An offer had been received in February from a prospective purchaser for one of the sites, provided it could be put to business uses.

"'The board rests its appeal on the opinion of its advisers, that there is practically no chance whatever of selling the section with frontages to Jervois Road and Wallace Street ae anything but business sites," said Mr. AJlum, "the fact that the locality is already a shopping centre militating against tha sale of the sites in question for residential purposes."

"Ideal Shopping Area.""This particular area has always been looked upon as a business area, as the erection of the tramway barn established a business or industrial centre," said Mr. T. B. Clay, a retired land valuer. The barn, he said, was a disfigurement of the landscape, and its demolition had improved the surroundings. A well-designed block of shops would be not only an ornament, but also a utility, as it would enable the residents on the north side of Jervois Eoad to purchase their requirements without the danger of crossing streets, which was always a soμrce of anxiety to parents who sent their children on errands. In witness' opinion the corner of Wallace Street and Jervois Koad was an ideal shopping area, as it was in a prominent position, and the shops on the opposite side of Jervofe Eoad would make a shopping centre similar to those found on most main thoroughfares. point might be raised that Jervois Road came to , a blind end, and was not similar to many other thoroughfares, but why should the site not lie made a business area in place of allowing the whole length of Jervois Road on the south" side to be set apart for shops? Although all the shops between Shelly Beach Road and Kelmarna Avenue were on the south side of Jervois Road, there was a change from that point to the tramway terminus. Certainly there were only five shops, but they were all on the north side.

Although members of the council's town planning committee had given the question careful consideration, Mr. Clay was inclined to believe that they had been more influenced by the ratio of shop's to population rather than by town planning. The corner of Wallace Street and Jervois Road was essentially a shopping centre.

An Auckland valuer, Mr. W. T. Brown, gave evidence in support of the council's case.

After hearing evidence Mr. Mawson made a visit of inspection to the eite this afternoon* -'