Rangiora scheme opposed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33904, 25 July 1975, Page 2

Rangiora scheme opposed

Though most business- 1 men in Rangiora agree ' with the concept of redeveloping the centre of r the town, none seems to i agree with the propo-ed way of financing the scheme. Many question having to i pav $3 or $4 a sq ft for pre- r mises in the centre when they u could build new premises now for about $2 a square foot The Rangiora Borough Council is not satisfied with a report submitted to it recently bv Harlev Chambers. L Ltd. and representatives ofj a the companv and the council | s will meet todav The Mayor (Mr J A. Mc-j c Kenzie) described the ar the council meeting, which p dealt with financial aspects of! the plan as “a report to meet a deadline.” « He said that he had not had ” time to study it in derail. he: s] had seen it for the first time earlier that evening. FIGL Rt DISPI TL d One of the planners tn the-4 company. Mr J. A Hanna. |P 'aid vesterdav that the report had not been done in asi hurrv. and that it had been delivered earlier in the das tl He also said that business-iw men in the area would not si pav $4 a square foot. ai This is quite incorrect. We N have been reported wrongly

Thev will have to pay only $3 a square foot.” said Mr Hanna. He said that he could comment further after the meetins todav Mr McKenzie said that finance was the main problem delaving the redevelopment. "The council is quite unanimous that the research that has gone into the financial report is quite inadequate.” be said The concept of redevelopment was basically good, and he approved the plans. ••COMMUNITY TASK” He felt that the project should be a community one, ind that the businessmen should not have to pav for their premises and the civic centre. Ratepayers, who would benefit, should help to pay. “In principle, it would be tjuite wrong to ask a small {roup to pav for the civic .entre. It should be the reiponsibility of all ratepavers.” .aid Mr McKenzie. .Mr J. Newman, the presiient of the Businessmen’s Association. <aid that he approved of the scheme, but it vas far too expensive, and it .hould be a ratepayer project. “We all agree that somehing has to be done, but I voutd not like to see this, cheme go ahead as it is fin-1 meed at present.” said Mr s’ewman Mr G. R Walker, the

;owner of North Canterbury; Development, Ltd. strongly 11 [opposes the scheme. Too! ’many things had been left I unanswered, he said. COUNTY ACCESS The scheme cut access to . ;the borough for people from I the county by closing the main link road. High Street. The Rangiora County Council had not been asked to comment on the plan. 1 “The county is the life : blood of Rangiora. They cannot hope to finance a scheme ! like this without some consideration to the surround- 1 ling county area.” he said. It was a plan for the redevelopment of the town! centre without any consider-; -ation being given to theft people who supported it. t Under the scheme, Mrjt Walker would receive land It equivalent in value of his t present property: he would, not be paid for it. He felt that the 10 people;! who owned houses in thejs area would sooner have thej l money for their properties so that they could buy houses ’ elsewhere. Their properties ' could not be replaced within r a commercial environment. ' c v STORE ACCESS t Mr Walker said that each store, legally, would have to J have an access way, which, t under the plan accepted in b principle by the council, it p

did not have. He questione' how emergency service could work, particularly i there were a fire. "So many things have no been planned. They shouli have come to the owners They do not ask you wha you want to do with you land, they tell you,” he saic The company had said tha it did not need 100 per cen co-operation from owners ii the area. “What happens if th chemist does not wish to par ticipate? His property wil end up in the middle of i garden,” said Mr Walker. CAR-PARKS The ratepayers had paid fo the present car-parks. Unde the scheme they would fin ance new ones, which mean: they would pay twice foi them. Mr D. C. Smith, of C. J Smith, Ltd. who also own; his shop, said he could noi see the scheme going aheac in its present form. It was not profitable foi retailers. The scheme was very elaborate, and might b< more profitable if it wen developed as a mall concept which would attract more traffic. The former Town Clerk, Mr R. Ward, said that the lime was opportune to rebuild the town centre. “The srinciple is good,” he said.