UNKNOWN

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 112, 16 November 1928, Page 8

UNKNOWN

EVANS BAY WAT NIUWN CONTROLLING POSITION A few weeks ago certain mcmlxM'H of the City Council rather "blow up" over the disreputable appearance of » number of the boat sheds in Evans Day, and a good deal was said of the responsibility of another local authority in tho matter, to which the body referred to replied that it had no control over the owners of the sheds complained of, and that if there was a lack of control in* council itself was to "blame. The matter of bringing about an improvemeri. in the bay came up again at last night's meeting of the council in a proposal from the Reserves Couinitteo that licenses should be granted for the boat sheds erected on the unformed portion of the road reserve at Evans Bay on. the usual terms provided the owners are prepared t- alter the buildings to meet the council's requirements where they are not up to standard and to removethe sheds if required to do so should the road be widened. The Mayor said that ho had spoken strongly against the sheds. He found on looking into the matter that it was one for the Harbour Board, as sheds had been licensed by the.board which were partly on Harbour Board's property and partly on the City-Council's property. Some of the recently-erected, ones were entirely on the council's property, and had been put up without asking anybody's consent. The council desired to assist yachting, but boating requirements were undoubtedly the specific duty of the Harbour Board. The council must protect its own rights. In the case of sheds put up on city property without consent the owners should have the position explained to them, serving them with notice to either remove them or re-erect them to approved designs and specifications. Some of the sheds were very unsightly. Councillor Mitchell took exception to the inference that other bodies were shouldering ;■ 'sibilities on to the council. The our Board had been assured that . t hese properties were on city property. Without co-operation, it would be difficult- to meet the position. The Harbour Board had insisted on a certain standard structure, but people had made shacks with cases before the matter was brought to the board's notice. Apart from these structures old timber, etc., was being dumped all along the foreshore, making it unsightly. He could assure the council of the closest co-operation where the board was concerned, but the majority of the sheds were on the city's property, and nobody seemed to care'what they looked like. Councillor Hnggins said that the matter had been thoroughly considered Ijy the Beserves Committee. There was really no neglect of the question, and the proposed action would meet the case. Councillor H. D. Bennett thought it time :he ifliag was cleared up, but he deplored any suggestion of unnecessary conflict "with tie Harbour Board. What, however, coaM be done? Instructions to demolish asd rebuild would constitute an injustice. He suggested a conference with the Harbour Board to bring about gradually the conditions aimed at. > On the Mayor's motion, the Town Clerk was asked to communicate with all the owners. Mr. Troup said he would have no hesitation in ordering some of them to be pulled down forthwith. RESERVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. A report by the Director of Eeserve3 (Mr. J. G. Mackenzie) following a recent road s.urvo,y stated that tho City Solicitor early in"'February had advised thai; no new licenses should be issued for sheds on road reservations, and all the present sheds should be removed as soon as possible. 'The survey shows," continues the. report, "that all boat-sheds, also the Hataitai Bathing and the Evans Bay Yacht Clubs' sheds, are encroaching on the street reservations. The position in the past has been that the Harbour Board has licensed the sheds below high water mark. Most of the sheds so licensed were partially above high-water mark, and as already explained, all are more or less on street reservations. It is obvious that no sheds should be licensed by the Harbour Board on the road reservations, even where this comes below high-water mark, also that the City Council should be the licensing authority, of the sheds at present erected there. It is not possible, nor would it be reasonable, to request the owners of the sheds at present erected to move their sheds off the road reservations out into tho water until such time as the road widening is put in, hand. This, I. understand, may bo years hence. If no road widening is to bo done in the near future in thia locality (I refer to that part, of Evans Bay from Patent Slip to Kilbirnie Bathing Sheds) the council should licensa sheds on the road reservation, provided the owners are prepared to rebuild to tho council's requirements where the sheds are not up to standard. Yachting is a meritorious sport, and we should do our best to accommodate the man who is prepared to erect a decent-look-ing structure to house his gear. Thesa sheds are, of course, quite, essential to the sport. Each agreement will require a clause inserted to tho effect that when road widening is put in hand tho' building would require to be romoved off the road reservation."