RESERVE FOR ISLAND BAY,

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2734, 31 March 1916, Page 7

RESERVE FOR ISLAND BAY,

-— r —s .- APPEAL TO THE RESERVES COMj . MITTEE. "-,' A deputation representing - the Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association waited on tho Reserves Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon urging the acquirement of that triangular section of'land opposite the terpiinus of the tramway lino at Island Bay, for the purpose of a reserve, resting place, waiting shed, and band rotunda. . . i . Mr. E.-.T. Colle.y poilitwlout lliattlie section. (one owned by Jtr. -Brodoriek) was the one in wliicli tboy. Were coneorncd. Island Bay at present had notbing in tho form _ of ' a recreation ground. The council bad even permitted the foreshore to he taken \ from them. He believed that tlie section in question wasi most suitable for a rest-ing-place for visitors to tho bay, ami with a band rotunda there, it would make a capitnl rendezvous for the public. • ■ ' Mr. N. Willoughbv said that when 'the matter was laid heforo the committee before, it was dismissed for financial reasons. The original price asked by Mr. Broderielc was £2(100. but subject to the condition that it. would he preserved for all time as a reserve he was, willing to dispose of the,section for £1500. The ■ approximate area of the land was three-quarters of an acre. Lnnd was becoming very:scarce at tlie bay l , so scarce'-that it would soon be impossible to secure any land there for recreation purposes. At present the people _,met on the -beach, hut there ivcro times'when thnt was not a pleasant situation, and there wan'no'plnce in which to shelter from the wind. That would bo overcome by the acquisition of this section. Mr. Stanley Chishohu said if tho city ■ lost the. opportunity of acquiring, the section now' they would lose '■ it- altogether. It bad been said .that tlie price was too, high. The seotioii had a 363 ft. frontage to the Parade, and basing it at, £4 a foot,'-wrinld give them the cost, of tho land, and ho believed -that tho owner could "nt £2000 for .it by cutting It up. The corner section' opposite, had sold for £11 per foot, and the section adjoining for £9 a i foot, and they were sandy sections, whereas, Mr. Broderick's was well grassed. Mr. Chisholm further stated that- the owner was prepared 1 to take a small deposit, say £250, and leave tho rest of tlie money oil mortgage at 4J per cent., and some of them might entertain that nrohosal if they could get an undertaking from the council that thoy would take over the land at a future date. In his reply, the chairman (Mr. Geo. Frost) stated, in reoly to Mr. Collov. that the council bid never disposed of nn.v of the waterfront at Island Bay, but on the contrary had spent thousands of pounds in -aenuiring it. When the matter was considered before the council's advisers had reported strongly against the proposal, and still considered that £1500 was "a warm figure." _ Ho pointed out (in reply to Mr. Chisholm) that; the section 'was drawn out to a long, fine point, and if he about halved his figures, he would cot-tho mean frontage of the section. However, the matter 'would bo reconsidered, n recommendation made to the council jatcr on.