Councillors Inspect Zoning In Linwood-Phillipstown Area

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27592, 24 February 1955, Page 8

Councillors Inspect Zoning In Linwood-Phillipstown Area

A revision of the zoning of the Phillipstown-Linwood area appears

certain to be recommended to the next meeting of the City Council, as a result of an inspection yesterday. The area from one section back south of Cashel street to Talfourd street, west of.. Lancaster Park, and from Fitzgerald avenue to one section deep west of Nursery, road was zoned in 1939 as “light industrial.’’ The growth of industry to the east of Fitzgerald avenue recently has given some residents concern. They apparently had not realised that the zoning bad been altered since 1939. /

The probability now is that the housing and town-planning committee will recommend that the zoning for light industry be restricted to the area bounded by Cashel street, one section deep, Fitzgerald avenue, Ferry road, Phillip street and Stanmore road. The unanimous opinion that the area zoned for “light industry” had to be restricted because of the housing in the old-settled Phillipstown district was expressed by members of the City Council who made the inspection. The district has a mixture of good and inferior homes. To the south of Ferry road, most of the houses are good, and in the blocks to the east of Phillip street are situated a big brick church and the Phillipstown School and a children’s playground. If the council reduces the area zoned for industry, a proviso wall doubtless be that industrial firms and individuals, who have already purchased properties in the eastern areas to be excluded in the revised plan, will be permitted to build factories on them in the future. The properties were bought, it is argued, because of the zoning and the refusal of a permit to utilise the land for the purpose for which it was bought would be without equity. Some inquiries will be made, from the owners of properties in the areas proposed to be excluded from “light” industiy zoning, whether they have any objection to the land use being rezoned as “residential.” Values are involved, as properties have realised much more as industrial than residential sites.

The owner of a substantial bungalow on the south side of Ferry road was questioned by a reporter of “The Press” during the inspection. He said no other residents had discussed with him objections to the area being zoned as “light industrial.” He was not concerned with the zoning. His home was handy to the city and ivould suit him for the rest of his days. “They put up a fine building, and it is a big improvement on the old buildings,” he said, indicating a new printing and stationery works. He appreciated that the properties were more valuable when realised for industrial purposes than they were as homes. General agreement was reached that the land west of Fitzgerald avenue should continue to be zoned “indus-

trial” and that no action could be taken against industries already established to the eastward. Members of the City Council who made the inspection were: —The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), Crs- J. Mathison, MJ*., J. E. Jones (chairman of the works committee), W. S. MacGibbon, W. P. Glue, C. Baldwin (chairman of the housing and townplanning committee), J. Shankland, and N. R. Forbes (chairman of the traffic committee). All are members of the housing and town-planning committee. The City Engineer (Mr E. Somers), Mr J. Foster (town-planning office), and Mr Allan Black (secretary of the committee) completed the party, which covered the district by foot to survey the housing and industries.