ZONING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 49, 10 February 1932, Page 9

ZONING

DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES TOWN PLANNING PROPOSALS. MR. J. W. MAWSON’S ADDRESS. In a most able and interesting manner Mr J. W. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, dealt with the principles and practice of zoning in his address to a gathering of business men in Napier last night. Mr H. Anderson, chairman of the Business Property Owners’ Association, presided. Zoning, said Mr Mawson, was a method of assisting in a more intelligent and effective planning and development of cities. It implied a more harmonious and orderly arrangement of such functions of city life as industry, commerce, residence and recreation, and regulated population and building densities so as to maintain at all times a proper balance between land uses and the public utilities upon which the public depended. Town planning, said Mr Mawson, as generally understood, fell under two headings—communications and zoning. Under the former were included all classes of transport for which regulation for control was essential. The town planning scheme for Napier dealt only with the communications, and he hoped that a start would be made with a supplementary planning scheme that would provide for all the provisions -in the Act.

EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY. Zoning was designed to secure efficiency and economy in local body administration. A large part of the present financial ills of the country resulted from the haphazard policy pursued in the past in the design and construction of streets and public utilities, without any precise knowledge of the load they would be called upon to carry during the period of the loans out of which they were constructed. In undeveloped areas there was no difficulty in designing various utilities on an economical basis. Poor zoning, however, was worse than no zoning and it was important to note that the regulations were not designed to be arbitrary or to be detrimental to owners of property. Much of the annoyance that was being caused by the digging up of streets in connection with public utilities could have been obviated by wise forethought, which meant an economic saving. Most of the cities in America and England were operating under the zoning regulations, which, were initiated by business organisations with outstanding success. In the preparation of any town planning scheme, zoning was a first essential, and in this New Zealand was sadly behind other countries. NO EXCUSE FOR UNSOUND PRACTICES.

In the light of present knowledge Mr Mawson saw no excuse for a continuance of practices which were now known to be unsound. It was illogical that while a number of utilities and services were planned and administered on a metropolitan or regional basis, the separate urban and rural authorities had been allowed to retain full discretion regarding the nature of land utilisation and population density in their separate districts, although it was obvious that the economic conduct of these utilities was absolutely dependent on the use of the land in the districts served.

Continuing, Mr Mawson pointed out that there was a danger that should bo avoided in over subdivision of lands for business purposes.

The zones and subsidiary zones that would best meet the needs of Napier were stated by Mr Mawson as follow; —(1) Residential; (2) commercial, with possible division to allow of shopping centres; (3) industrial, which might be divided into light and heavy industrial areas.

In order that the public utilities already established might be ensured it was essential that steps should be taken to ascertain that their loading was in accordance with their original expectations, which meant that everything would have to be on a definite economic basis. ZONING AND HEALTH. Referring to health in its application to zoning, Mr Mawson said he was satisfied that the experiences of February 3 last year had not been taken to heart yet. The question of light and air space was a most vital factor, and the practice of allowing buildings to be erected on 100 per cent of the site should be condemned. Badly lighted and poorly ventilated buildings, ho said, wore a crime, and merely fostered ill health. Buildings erected by themselves might meet with ,the requirements of the most exacting local body official, but the key to the position was the question of the adjoining building. While adopting minimum standards, there should be in addition a regulation requiring a minimum of light, penetrating to every habitable room or workshop, and he hoped that the people of Napier would not miss the opportunity of having such a regulation adopted at the earliest opportunity. Dealing further with essential space, Mr Mawson dealt with a space of five yards which should be arranged for the purpose of securing light and acting as fire breaks. Mr Mawson further was of the opinion that from every open space on to which opened a window of a habitable room there should be direct access to a street or other open area. Such planning would prevent the trapping of people in time of fire and so avert possible loss of life.

Referring to the height of buildings, he considered that the maximum should be within reach of the activities of a fire brigade. He was opposed to the principle of erecting buildings beyond a height which firemen could operate, which meant in time of fire that no steps could be taken to stem the outbreak. NON-CONFORMING BUILDINGS. Another phase of zoning dealt with by Mr. Maw-son was the existence of buildings that did not conform to the regulations. In England, he said, once a building had been vacated for six months, its value was considered to be of little importance, and before it could be re-occupied the owner was compelled to make it comply with the regulations. In Vancouver, he stated, the period of non-occupation of a noilconforming building was only one month, after which the owner was oh liged to observe the regulations. Stull ft regulation, although possibly not «

harsh, would be essential for dealing with such buildings in this country. In conclusion Mr. Mawson stated that zoning had the effect of stabilising property values, and in defining the future purposes of land eliminated speculation. In addition, a modern zoning scheme would promote the amenities of residential districts by preventing the inclusion of incompatible operation and preserving an open type of development Mr. W. Kinross-White pointed out that the conditions before the earthquake in Napier were greatly restricted, but since the upheaval there were now large areas that would provide for the expansion of the town. Prior to th© earthquake of 1855 Wellington was but a small place, but history showed that the town was really made by that earthquake, and he was satisfied that Napier would progress in a similar manner. He was opposed to the principle of centralisation on main cities, as was the case in Australia, and was of the opinion that New Zealand’s great economic safety valve was the manner in which its towns were distributed. GROWTH OF TRADE. Mr. J. 8. Barton, chairman of the Napier Commission, stated that experience showed that where no limits were imposed and the necessity arose, new business sprang up to meet a likely trade. The question was: Would it be logical to put a limit on the growth of a city?: while there was also the problem of allowing for any necessary elasticities. Members of the Rehabilitation Committee during their work in the district had noticed the growth in luxury trades and the tendency for an increase in them as a result of the earthquake. On the motion of Mr. A. B. Hurst, Mr Mawson was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.