THE BUILDING REGULATIONS.
At last night’s City Council meeting the following letter from bis Honor the Superintendent was read : , J understand the question of enforcing the building regulations on the land reclaimed from the harbor is at present under the consideration of the Council, allow me to express a hope that m dealing with this matter the Corporation may see its way to a no.t too rigid enforcement of the regulations as regards the land in question, i may say that the Government is about to plaoe some of this land in tho market, audit will be apparent that, until the laud becomes more consolidated, the colnpulsory erection of heavy buildings will involve much expense in the way of foundations-expense which will u greatly reduce the price which the land is otherwise ukely to fetch. It is estimated that, if the regulations ore enforced over the reclaimed land, the loss to the Province will amount to many thousand pounds, and the value of the proposed further reclamation considerably diminished. I venture to hope that these considerations may commend themselves to the consideration of the City Council, and that the operation of the particular bye-laws in question may be confined to what may be termed the City Pfoper,- * On Messrs Sparrow’s application coming on for consideration, the opinion of the City ocheitors was read to the effect that “ block UI of the reclaimed ground is situate in the outer area, and Messrs ’Sparrow and Co. would have to conform to the building regulatigns applicable thereto.” A memorial from citigens, objecting to the granting of thp application, was also read. The memorialists urged that it should not be granted, and that the Council should at once <, ause the whole of the reclaimed land to be brought within the inner building aria for the following reasons * - That the whole of the land now and about to' be reclaimed from the harbor will before Who urgently needed as sites .for large warehouses, the immediate proximity of the intended general railway terminus making that neighborhood specialty adapted for such purposes.: That if so dangerous a trade as that carried on by Messrs R. S. Sparrow and Co. is allowed m wood or von buildings, one of two tIS must inevitably happen—either land in thohn! SstarpV 6lgh),orhpod V considered 1 unffc thp hj P ur P° ses ; Or if, notwithstanding the danger, the trade should con? pe! the erection of warehouses‘there, the «Sb preßsf-e nSUran ° e WOuld become exceedingly ‘pp-
, that the erection of such mean and unsightly Wood and iron buildings as those in which the business of iron-founders and kindred artificers has hitherto been carried on in Dunedin would D 6 a moat lamentable disfigurement of that very part of the’ town, the buildings in which, we venture to submit, should present at least a send, enduring, and substantial appearance, if not one of architectural beauty. ■That, if one firm is allowed to erect such dangerous, and ' unsightly buildings upon the recuuned ground, their example will, doubtless, be followed by others, and thus that hood would become, and probably remain for years, a complete eyesore and disgrace to the City. That the erection of any buildings on the reclaimed ground but those which are reasonably fire-proof, and of a substantial and not unsightly character, will affect, in a greater or less degree, the value of all City property. That those who have purchased a portion of the reclaimed ground could not but have foreseen the strong probability (we hope it will prove the certainty) that, in the interests of the whole City, that land would be brought within the operation of the Inner Area Building Regulations ; and that therefore no injustice will be done to them by adopting that course before they have begun to build. It having been moved by Or. Woodland that Messrs Sparrow’s application should begranted, a discussion ensued. Cr, Prosser strongly opposed the motion, but the majority ef the Council, while supporting the application, to oppose which would be to cause a lawsuit, in which the Council would probably be unsuccessful, expressed themselves' in favor of the inner area regulations being brought into effect on the reclaimed ground as soui as possible. • The application was therefore granted, and it was argued that the Bye-laws Committee should wait upon the Superintendent, to bring, under His honor’s notice the advisability of extendinjj the inner area regulations to the reclaimed Sreund. Mr Blair,-district engineer, wrote in regard to.building the new passenger station in timber, that the difference of cost between timber and wood and stone would be about L 2,000 ; and that if the Corporation insisted on brick or stone, the extra expense would pompel the removal of the entire station beyppd sh« limits of the inner area ; that the building would be 300ffc from the nearest permanent building outside the station. It was pointed out by Cr. Walter that it would be harness to oppose the Government, as the Superintendent had the power to give the necessary permission. The application was granted; Ranger Bain reported upon the proposed alteration in the building regulations on the east side of George street from Moray place to Frederick street that a very large majority of the proprrty holders were in-favor of the alteration. It was resolved that that part of the town should be included in the outer area.
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Evening Star, Issue 3538, 25 June 1874, Page 2
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894THE BUILDING REGULATIONS. Evening Star, Issue 3538, 25 June 1874, Page 2
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