New kerbing to go ii plan for intersection

Press, 19 May 1987, Page 11

New kerbing to go ii plan for intersection

The final plan for the intersection of Normans Road and Wairakei Road will mean tearing up a section of kerb laid only weeks ago. The corner has been the subject of much discussion between the Christchurch City council and businessmen and residents of the area. Several draft plans for the final appearance of the intersection have been discussed. Last evening the council, with the approval of residents,agreed to Plan 2. The plan allows a median in Wairakei Road between the intersection and the railway and it retains car-parks outside the shops. More parks have been created by removing the kerb and setting it back off the road. Residents and busineses were particularly anxious to retain access and parking while making the area safe for pedestrians. Councillors compromised on plans that would have eliminated parking on the sweep into the intersection from the north-west Plan 2 means the removal of kerb and channel laid on the north side of the road to allow for the extra parking spaces. The kerb was laid earlier

in the year during work on the intersection. Merivale Village Cr Maurice Carter said he was unhappy that the council’s town planning committee, using power delegated to it, approved columns in the, middle of the footpath of Office Road outside the Merivale Village commercial building. The approval was given as the committee sought to resolve a mix-up over land for street widening in Office Road. Council staff granted a building permit for the commercial building, being developed by Mutan Holdings, Ltd, of Auckland, in the belief that the developers had an agreement with the owner of land on the other side of the road needed for road widening. However, the owner, Government Life Insurance Corporation, has refused to sign over the land. The strip on the north side of the road was to be exchanged for one on the opposite side. If Mutan cannot have the north strip it will have to give up the strip on the south side, cutting into the ground floor of the commercial building. The town planning committee last month gave the developers approval to occupy a basement be-

low the footpath and a floor above it provided the footpath was kept clear. That would mean columns in the footpath, said Cr Carter. He was unahppy about any changes to road widening in Office Road. The council had been very strict on residents of the street in the past. Now it appeared to be bending the regulations for a commercial project. He was told the columns would not interfere with the footpath users. There was nothing the council could do to withdraw an approval given by the committee. Softball Councillors will have to find $50,000 in the budget next Monday- for urgent development for Canterbury softballers if they want to keep a promise, according to Cr Charles Manning. He moved that the sum be placed on the budget to urgently relocate the softballers at Cuthberts Green. • The council had promised urgent consideration of an alternative site to Opawa’s Hansen Park, he said. The councillors decided to look at the matter at next week’s special budget meeting.