NEW COUNTY OFFICES Waimairi Plan

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 7

NEW COUNTY OFFICES Waimairi Plan

The Waimairi County Council jjas agreed to pay nearly £5500 for about three-quarters of an ac re of land, at the comer of Clyde and Jeffreys roads, for the construction of new administration offices. This was revealed last evening by Cr. F. W. Walter (Marshland riding), after the council had £ pent nearly an hour in committee, hearing a report on his negotiations with the owner by Cr. P. Wynn-Williams <Fendalton), and discussing the proposed deal. protesting at the price agreed upon, Cr. Walter said that the council was paying for that threequarters of an acre at the rate of £7285 an acre (making the agreed price for the land about £5464), “which is much more than the figure we considered.” He considered the price too high. “Urgently Required” New offices were urgently required for greater efficiency in the administration of the county, said the chairman (Mr H. J. Reynolds) in a prepared statement In recent years the population of the county had increased enormously, and was now 28.000, and the capital value had risen accordingly, to £30,000.000. Finance had been arranged for the building and no increase in rating for the project was an*ticipated. Three tentative plans, prepared by the council’s engineering staff, were submitted by the county engineer <Mr D. P. McLellan). The plan adopted by the council envisaged a 7920 square feet single-storey building with a 110 foot frontage on Jeffreys road snd an 85 foot frontage on Clyde road. The council chamber would be 35ft x 27ft, the drawing office would be 30ft x 15ft, and there would be five offices for senior members of the staff. The main entrance would be on Jeffreys road. Provision is made for the later addition of a library, 47ft x 39ft —a floor area of 2000 square feet. This tentative plan will be a guide to the county engineer when the final plans are drawn.