Parking perpetual problem

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 4

Parking perpetual problem

Allowing 125 new carparking spaces at Merivale Mall will not alleviate onstreet parking problems in the vicinity of the mall, a 'planning tribunal was told yesterday. A senior town planner with the Christchurch City Council (Mr M. J. G. Garland) said that if 125 cars were taken off the street, another- 125 would arrive.

of Aikmans Road and Akela Street for 24 parking spaces. This is to be used for staff parking.

G.U.S. Properties is also appealing against a council decision rejecting an application to use an area near the intersection of Office Road and Papanui Road for 101 car-parking spaces. . Council for G.U.S. Properties (Mr J. R. Milligan) said the idea put forward by Mr Garland on car replacement was only a theory and could not be substantiated . . . “It is really only a gut feeling.”

“Until there is competition for the mail’s patronage this situation will continue. It is like taking a cup of water from the ocean,” Mr Garland said.

The tribunal, chaired by Judge Skelton, is hearing several applications in relation to the proposed development of two new car-parking areas at the shopping centre.

Mr Garland said that when a car-park expanded there was a feeling of insecurity among the neighbours. “It is my judgment that Merivale is in a delicate state of balance and it is better to G.U.S. Properties, Ltd, has put up with the present probbeen given permission by the lem until a better solution is Christchurch City Council to discovered. use a site at the intersection "G.U.S. has provided ade-

quate parking for the mall under the provisions of the district scheme, but it is because of all the old development in Merivale that there is a shortage of carparking,” he said.

Mr K. H. Elliott, a resident of nearby Beverley Street, said the provision of 101 carparking spaces at the corner of Office Road and Papanui Road would create great difficulties because of the density of traffic on Papanui Road, especially on Thursday evening and Saturday morning. •

Society, said that if this carparking application was approved it would set a precedent that would allow for the uncontrolled expansion of car-parking in not only Merivale but across the city. On a typical Thursday when parking was at a premium, the impact of 24 car parks would generate 480 vehicle movements, he said. Mr Wilkie said that properties in the immediate vicinity of Merivale Mall carpark had depreciated.

"Access on to Papanui Road will be extremely difficult with the added problems of traffic noise and exhaust pollution. “Merivale Mall is a vogue area and in time its popularity will drop off,” Mr Elliott said.

Several objections were heard from residents who live in the vicinity of the mall. They spoke- of the danger of the mall taking over the neighbourhood, of Merivale losing its distinctive character and spirit, of the danger to the many children of the area because of the extra traffic generated, and the fact that large open areas often attracted undesirable elements.”

Mr A. T. Wilkie, chairman of the Merivale Precinct

Mr Milligan acknowledged that there was a lack of parking in the vicinity of Merivale shopping centre and that this inconvenienced three groups of people: Those who were unable to find a park and had to drive around looking for one; residents who lived near the shopping centre and had cars parked outside their houses for long periods; and motorists who found routes near shopping centres clogged with traffic. Mr Milligan said that evidence suggested that the consequence of producing extra car-parking would mean the drawing in of traffic, a contraction of the area over which cars are parked. This would remove the inconvenience some residents encountered of having their frontages occupied by the cars of people shopping, he said. At the conclusion of the hearing Judge Skelton inspected the car-park site. He ■reserved his decision.