HAREWOOD AIR TERMINAL

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27591, 23 February 1955, Page 2

HAREWOOD AIR TERMINAL

Penthouse Sought On Present Building SPACE FOR TRAFFIC SECTION Permission to erect a 600 square foot penthouse on the existing terminal building at Harewood airport was sought by the Civil Aviation Administration in a letter received by the Christchurch City Council. .The penthouse would house the administration’s air traffic secton. The administration’s letter said the reason for the request for penthouse accommodation was: “in view of the protracted investigation necessary and the period of time which must elapse before the present proposals for a new terminal building and air traffic section facilities could come to fruition. The Mayor (Mr R- M.' Macfarlane, M.P.X said that councillors wpuld be more astonished than they were at Monday evening’s meeting, at the latestrequest of the administration. Councillors were fully aware of the need for getting on with and extending the facilities for the internal and external service at Harewood. “To put a penthouse on top of the existing building, which will have to come down in a couple of years, is just sheer waste of public money, said the Mayor. The general requirements of tne Civil Aviation Administration were explained in a recent letter from the director. He said that the control tower cab, weighing about six tons, must be 55 feet above ground level. A minimum of 5000 square feet was required directly under the cab for air traffic control, communications, meteorological facilities and radio equipment space. Toilets and a staff room were additional A lift to carry packages of up to 64 cubic feet in size and one ton in weight was required to the floor below the control cab. It was also required that the top of the lift well should not obstruct the all-round view from the cab. The Civil Aviation Administration required that stand-by generating plant be installed to supply emergency power; but that could be located at ground level. An air conditioning plant was wanted for the cab. “Free access and use of the lift 24 hours of the day, seven days weekly, is required,” said the letter. - These structural requirements' it would appear, would increase the cost ; of a combined facility over that of a separate building, the department - stated.