A MIRAMAR PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 6

A MIRAMAR PROBLEM.

KING'S ROAD, PROPOSED REDUCTION OF WIDTH. ANOTHER DISCUSSION. A small deputation waited upon the Miramar Borough Council last evening to discuss the proposal'to' reduce the width of King's Road from 99ft. to 66ft., and to shift an open drain from the east to the west- side of the road. The deputation was introduced b.v dx-Councillor M'Leod, who lately resigned his seat in order that ratepayers might be enabled to express their views upon the proposal. The other members of the deputation wore Messrs. Jack, Hall, and M'Cale. In the course of a. brief conversational discussion the merits of the proposal were considered from various points of view. .Replying to a question bv Mr. M'Leod, the Mayor stated that tho" cost of shifting tho drain, constructing the necessary culverts, and forming the road was estimated at about JM). How Wide? Mr. M'Cale said that in his view it was a mere waste of time and money to maintain streets of a greater width than 66ft. No street in Miramar need-lie of a greater except The Avenue. "I beiievo in the main street through a city being 100 ft.. wide," said' Mr. Hall. The Mayor stated'that the people of Pahiatua now regretted having made their streets so wide.' The width of the main street (three -chains) amounted to a serious disability. It was impossible to distinguish from the"opposite sido of tho streets the nature-of the business carried on in a shop. The proposal under review was in the interests of the whole district. If they, were to form and maintain and struggle along with these wide streets, which were . unnecessary (within an industrial area.-'more particularly), the ■speaker felt sorry for. the ratepayers of the district. In residential areas, streets of this class could-be planted at small cost, but King's Road lay in an industrial area. The greater part of one side of the street was taken up by a timber yard, and the opposite side would be taken up by other industries. "What consideration is the council to receivo from the-Gas Company?" (for that portion of the street reduction fronting the company's - property), asked Mr. Jack. '. ',- . 'Tho Mayor Teplied first the price (J2750). second the rates which would become due on the area excluded from the street, and third, the reduced .cost of maintaining (he street. . ~ An. Ex-Councillor's Protest. Mr. M'Leod said that he was actuated purely by a desire to study the best interests, "prevnt and future, of tho borough. There was no doubt that 66 feet was a sufficient width for Kind's Road at tho present time, but those who had an eye. to the future would'not leavo it at that. King's Road was a short cut to the centre of the level land at Miramar. It emptied ten roads. • A point to remember was that the Gas Company's industry caused a certain amount of chemical smell. This might perhaps bo done awav with by the new works, but having a "space of .99 feet between the company's industry and what they thought might becomo a residential side of this street was certainly a factor to be considered. Mr. M'Cale said the resources of tho district could not require a Toad of greater width than 66 feet. "A Retrograde Step." Mr. Hall pointed out that it was impossible to say what traffic might pass through the road in years .to come. Speaking as the owner of a section fronting tho road, it was a matter of indifference to him whether the road was 66 or 99 feet wide. .Sneaking as a ratepayer in a larger sense he thought it a retrograde step to start reducing the width of arterial roads. The Mayor declared that no borough in New Zealand had done more to beautify and improve its streets than Miramar. Had King's Road traversed a residential area, the council would have planted it. Mr. Jack, .while thanking the council for the manner in which ho and his friends had been received, said ho was still inclined to take Mr. M'Leod's point of view. The visit of tho deputation, ho added, did not represent any reflection on tho council. "A Majority of One." Councillor Muir: "It is not the council. It (tho reduction proposal) was . carried by a majority of one." At tho instance of Councillor Bowie, tho Mayor .stated that all the council had as yet definitely decided to do in this matter was to reduce the width of King's Road and sell a portion of tho laud gained to tho Gas Company. Tho suggestion to shift the open'drain across the street had not yet been definitely adopted. Before the deputation withdrew Mr. M'Cale congratulated the ■ Mayor and councillors on the move they had made, and expressed a. hope that they would carry v it right through. After the deputation had withdrawn Councillor Bowie agreed to the elimination of a motion, of which he had given notice, to rescind the resolution passed by tho council providing for the reduction of King's Road. In doing so ho stated that he had objected to the earlier proceedings as being informal. Also he opined that, tho council had lost by its haste in this matter. • Even supposing that the reduction of the road were necessary and were approved by. a majority, the" council could have made a better bargain if it had been more deliberate. A Ratepayer's View. The question was again revived when the clerk read a'letter from a ratepayer (Mr. Williamson), who owns property on tho west side of King's Road. Mr. Williamson stated that he would prefer to see the width of the road remain as at present. He could not see his way to approve the proposal to shift the drain. His object in taking up property on the western side of the road had been to avoid the open drain. Councillor Muir stated vehemently that this was a very serious matter. There was no prospect of. finality. "If I buy a section," declared the councillor, "and the road is 99 feet or 120 feet wide, I think the width is necessary. If file council reduced it to 66 feet I think I am entitled by law to the council to buy the section at the price I paid, and to give me compensation." Councillor Bell contended- that it w.as idlo.fo waste m n rc time in discussion on this subject. The council had invited objectors to como beforo it. Of throe men owning nronertv on the road who had accepted, the invitation, one was in favour of the. street beiiif; reduced, one was I against the proposal,"and another did not earc. Evidently, the ratepayers upheld the council in all that it proposed to d". At this point the 'liseu"ion terminated. Tho proposal, to reduce King's Road will eonip up-f»r final, settlement at n special meeting of the council on April G.