TARANAKI STREET

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 10

TARANAKI STREET

WIDENING PROJECT TO COST £48,000 CIVIC LEAGUE INQUIRY The subject of the City Council's business, .operations relating to the widening of Lower Taranaki street is one which has. boon much discussed by citizens, and various rumours have been in circulation reflecting on the council in reference, to the matter. It is a question which . has interested members' of the Civic League, and on three occasions has been discussed at meetings. At one meeting a resolution was passed asking'that an independent investigation be made into the conduct of the business .for the satisfaction of the ratepayers and electors.. This was conveyed to the Town Clerk by letter. In consequence of this communication tho.Mayor invited' representatives to meet him with the Town Clerk stating that much • information could bo given '.-which the league's members were not aware of or had overlooked. Tho league's officers decided to accept this invitation and report to the league at a subsequent meeting. At the meeting' of, the league's council on Tuesday evening last, the representatives reported' as follows: — A deputation, which was not confined to officers of the league, met the Mayor on the subject of the widening of Lower Taranaki street, with the Town Clerk in attendance. The conference lasted for an hour, and tho Mayor was most

frank in presenting all the information ' sought, whilst the Town Clerk had the documentary evidence in support of what was stated: ' ■ i ' . CONFERENCE WITH THE MAYOR. In ■■ opening, the Mayor, 'Mr. Troup, said his council could' not order an investigation until ' definite charges were (formulated. ; This was recognisedl as .reasonable and* the league's representatives confined themselves to securing a clear statement of the general transactions since the inception of tho project. It was explained that tho plan of widening to 100 feet was first put forward- by the City -Engineer, Mr. Hart. and. was adopted by the council on his recommendation. Estimates for the whole work were prepared, and the then Mayor, Mr. Norwood, reported that the. cost would approximate £50,000. It was recognised that the acquirement of so much of the property at the corner of Manners street as was required would require special treatment. The idea was acted on of seeking to take not only the property at the corner, but also the one adjoining, and thus allow the owners of tho corner property land belonging to' the adjoining owner to enable them to set back to the; alignment which would give the 100 feet at'that end. A mistake was hero made in respect to the council's legal powers in taking the land. The league's representatives are'convinced that it was a bona fide attempt to save the city from undue cost. It developed, however, unfortunately, and. the only mistake appears to have been in not fully examining the legal aspect in the initial stage. WIDTH OF STREET. "With respect to delay in the carrying out of the whole scheme the Town Clerk explained that some of the transactions were very involved, and in putting in a proclamation over land needed a period of at least six months must elapse before the council can bo in a j position to even start preliminary work.' "Regarding the impasse which had arisen over the taking, of Levy's property (corner of Manners street), the idea of reverting to a width of 84ft right through was taken up. This would be the same as Upper Taranaki street will bo. Negotiations were entered into with the owner of the property at the Wakefield streot end, to bring the lino of their building forward from the 100 ft width of street. The council offered the strip 'of land for this purpose, but :■. the owner required a cash payment in addition (probably because their building work was proceeding), and this the council could not see : its way to.agree to. "The whole costs of the widening on the present basis is £58,000. Against this are credits to the council amount-, ing to £10,000, so that the net cost to the city is £48,000. ' "It was pressed on the Mayor that it was very desirable that the width should now be the 100 ft right through. Tho Mayor, replied that he considered the cost which would be involved was prohibitive at the present time, with all the other street widening plans which are contemplated. It would mean another £.40,000 approximately, which the city would havo, to face, and whilst tho one width throughout was desirable a better opportunity would occur to do the remainder of the work later on. The matter of particular transactions was not gone into, as the purpose of tho league's inquiry was rather to-so-curo information on the widening project as a whole. In answer to a question, the Mayor intimated that there was no objection to any information given being made iniblie. Oa presentation of the report .to,tho league's meeting some .discussiou ensued. A niotion was passed approving of the action of the league's representatives in meeting the Mayor, and that a statement of the information secured be supplied to the Press.