Councillor objects only to site

Press, 4 March 1988, Page 4

Councillor objects only to site

Siting the observation tower on the Armagh Street-Colombo Street ’corner would | ruin the view of the Town Hall, I the Parkroyal {Hotel and! the Avon River, said a Christchurch City councillor, Carole Evans. Mrs Evans told the three commissioners hearing submissions and objections to the tower proposal that she was giving evidence as “a city retailer and an individual ratepayer.”

“The issue to me- has always been the site chosen by Tourist Towers, Ltd; I have no argument or disapproval of the concept or design, only the location,”; she said. "The procedures and information provided by the Christchurch City Council to city ratepayers since the 1979 City of Christchurch District Planning Scheme has led the public to believe that Victoria Square was a protected reserve, and would be redeveloped by the Christchurch City Council as a passive recreational area. "I believe that the clos-i ing of the vista of Victoria Square from Colombo' Street would be a very! sad loss!to our city,” said Mrs Evans. “The siting of the tower would present a large, bulky barrier tb our most; visual link with the Town' Hall, the Avon Riverland the Parkroyal Hotel. “The intersection of Armagh and Colombo streets would be marred by the bulky, three-storey base,”: she said. “The ! building of the Parkroyal has blocked for ever the sense of release that people felt as they approached the city from Victoria' Street.

"Ask j the many people who travel that road daily how they feel about this giant bulk that has destroyed for ever that sense of openness as they approached the city. Many will say they did not realise what they had agreed to.

“The same, or worse, would happen if we allowed The tower to be built, effectively forming a barrier to people who would use the open space, and the vista of the Town Hall, Avon River, trees and the Parkroyal would be lost for ever,” Mrs

Evans said. I { The siting wbuld create extra traffic pressure {on an already busy intersection. The 3000 ivehicles a 'day that now! travelled

I The Christchurch City Council has { appointed three commissioners to hear objections and submissions to its proposed City Plan change number 17, for the (redevelopment of Victoria Square. The change would create a recreation .'development 2 zone incorporating an observation tower and proposed ! rearrangement of reserve land in the square.

The land is now zoned Recreation 1/which provides for passive recreation and rules out organised sports and large buildings. In 1985 the council adopted a redevelopment plan for the square including a proposed building for public toilets, tearoom and an information booth, a paved area for market stalls and out-

along Oxford Terrace would be diverted through the intersection. Tourist buses and cars looking for parking would create further congestion.

door displays, and an area providing 21 car parks. That plan may also have needed a District Scheme change. In February 1987, a proposal to build an observation tower on the south-eastern corner of the square was presented to the council by Tourist Towers, Ltd.

In April, the council supported the proposal in principle, and _ .granted the company a fourmonth option over the site to develop the proposal. It also asked for design work for the whole of the square.

When amended plans were prepared, the council decided in August to approve the proposal as the landower, and to initiate change number 17 to the City Plan. A month later the

“Adequate consideration has not been given to the amount of car-parking already needed in the north of the Cathedral Square area,” she said.

council rescinded its approval as landowner, but continued with change number 17. The change vyas publicly notified on August 25, and renotified on September 29 after {a motion for its withdrawal was resolved. A total of 1204 objections! and submissions to the I change ( were received. These! included 1021 objections opposing the change, 182 submissions supporting the change, and a submission from the Canterbury Promotion Council setting out factors in favour of and against the change. Twenty-seven crossobjections were also received. ; The three commissioners are Sir Clinton Roper, Danie Ann Hercus, and Mr Ken Nairn.