TAMAKI PARK PROJECT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18939, 10 February 1925, Page 11

TAMAKI PARK PROJECT.

WATERFRONT RESERVE. FLYING SCHOOL BAY AREA, NEGOTIATIONS FOR PURCHASE MISSION TRUST'S ATTITUDE. A poll of ratepayers in the 'lamaki West road district will be taken on Thursday on a. proposal to borrow up to £20,000 for "the acquisition and laying out as a public reserve, of 23£ acres in the Flying School Bay, at Ivohimarama, this area being additional to the ten acres given for reserve purposes by the owners of the property. A statement regarding the negotiations between the Road Board and the Melanesian Mission Trust Board, and the present position, was made yesterday by Mr. C. F. Bennett. "While I fully appreciate the desire of the Tamaki Road Board to acj quire adequate reserve area in its | district, the fact should be known that j the Melanesian Mission Trust, in its sub- ! divisional scheme of Mission Bay block, ' now underway, lias already provided an exceptional area for reserve along the whole water frontage," said Mr. Bennett. "This area embraces the whole of the beach frontage, and a reserve of 10 acres, 3 roods, 10 perches, plus the land comprised in the front road (to be known as Bica Esplanade), set out in the plan. This area would, therefore, embrace something over 12 acres, extending in depth from the water line over seven chains on the western side, taking in the old flying school buildings, etc., narrowing somewhat toward the east in the approach to Kohimarama Wharf. The average depth would be about four and a-half chains. Basis ot Negotiations. "Negotiations have been on for about 12 months with respect to the subdivision, and the question of reserves on this block. The members of the Tamaki Road Board admit that the reserve provided by the Mission Trust Board, in its subdivisions! scheme, was in position, and value unprecedented in any previous subdivisional scheme which had come before the Auckland public. In fact, a conservative estimate of tho value of that reserve would bo £25,000. When the Tamaki Road Board expressed its desire to acquire extra land, the Mission Trust Board readily acceded to that desire, and placed a price on an additional area of 22 acres, which would have brought the reserve to more than 35 acres. The Road Board agreed in its negotiations that if the purchase took place it would be prepared, subject to the sanction of the ratepayers, to pay tho net value of the land which the Trust Board could reasonably hope to obtain when the property was put on the market as a subdivided area. This arrangement was established by reason of the admission of the Road Board of the magnanimous manner in which the Trust Board had provided a reserve of that great value in this block. I might mention that in matters of subdivision where a requisite 5 per cent, of the subdivided area has to be set aside for reserve purposes, those reserves are usually taken from portions of the block which would be the least expensive to the vendors. In this case the most expensive arid most valuable portion of the block has been given to the Crown by the Trust Board for reserve purposes. Arbitration Adopted, "In these negotiations the Road Board was not satisfied with the price quoted, and asked that the matter of the value might be determined by arbitration. This was readily conceded by the Mission Trust Board, and at the request of tho Road Board, an area of alw>ut 13 acres was surveyed and gone into for the purpose of assessing the iirice to be paid by the Road Board. In the matter of that arbitration, the Road Board was represented by Mr. William Wallace, one of our best known land valuers, and I represented the Mission Trust Board. The order of reference having been legally drawn up by the solicitors representing both sides, the two valuers concerned appointed as umpire Mr. T. B. Clay, who is also well known to the Auckland public. On the result of the findings of that arbitration being conveyed to tho Road Board (such findings, by the way, were unanimously certified by the three valuers mentioned), it took exception to tho price assessed, and exercised its right, as provided in the order of reference, not to purchase at the price assessed. The Road Board then resorted to the method of attempting to take this area, plus an additional block, totalling in all 22 acres, under the Public Works Act, and it is on that question that the ■ratepayers arc asked to vote. Board Still Willing to Sell. " This review of the negotiations clearly demonstrates that the Mission Trust Board has always been anxious for the Road Board to acquire this additional area if it desired, but at a price, as agreed upon in the order of reference, commensurate with the net figure which the Trust Board could reasonably hope to obtain if tho property were offered as a subdivision to the public. The Trust Board is still desirous of that land baing acquired if the Board Board desires to acquire it, but the question is one of price, and if the ratepayers sanction this loan of £20,000, it is by no means c<rtain that that amount would bo sufficient to cover the cost of the purchase, laying out and maintenance of the whole of this area, which would then be an aggregate of about 35 acres. A very fine block indeed it would make, but tho question of ways and means for its laying out into a reserve and its maintenance thereafter must not be overlooked. Or.o of the great difficulties experienced by the Mission Board in connection with these negotiations has been the great delay in having the roading scheme carried out to suit the requirements of the plan approved by the Road Board, and also the Minister for Lands. It is on that plan, setting aside the whole of the beautiful beach frontage of approximately 12 acres, that the Mission Board is ' now proceeding-"