THE NEED OF STREET LEVELS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2142, 18 March 1908, Page 1

THE NEED OF STREET LEVELS.

INCONVENIENCE TO PROPERTY OWNERS.

The need for perfect alignment of the footpaths, and tlio laying down of permanent levels is being greatly felt by architects -ami builders, who recognise that property owners are at -a risk of possible damage should they erect buildings on tho present levels of Mio fool,paths and -thoso levels to bo altered at some future time. There is -perhaps no town, tho size of Gisborne, in now Zealand, so far behind in undertaking this -work, and tho matter certainly needs tho prom.pt lattcnt'ion of Itltio Borough Council, for unless something is done, architects -have to leave tho floor levels of buildings entirely to chance; and run -the risk of -alterations, which might prove of most serious consequence .afterwards. (Tin* fault that there are few, if any, permanent footpath levels, is not due to Mr Harvey G.ibbons, the late engineer to the iGisbor.no Borough Council, who commenced tho work, but had not time to complete it, with tho result that property owners are in no better, -perhaps in -a worse, position, than they -were years ago. A well formed footpath should havo a fall from the building line to the kerb. In G isborne many footpaths ha A no fafiT-’nit vdl, or not- .fall enough. To -remedy this it will be -necessary, > in- the near. future, to either raise the level of the 'building line, or lower tho level -at the kerb. Both would prove calamitous to buildings already orcoted. If the building line was .raised, the floors of shops and offices, that are now on a level with tlio street, would be much bejpw the footpath, avliile -if tlio kerbing level was lowered, i-t would mean a readjustment of verandahs with, the level of the crown of tlio road, the channel would become too small 1 .- Ito carry flood water, and it would come over tlio footpaths, to the i n con veil ience of -public and traders in the case of a sudden storm. It has been -suggested that the -Borough Conned should employ -a- competent- engineer, who is familiar with (this work, to take tho street levels of the Borough so -that they coiiTd bo easily ascertained at the Council office. Property owners tell that they need some protection .from the eccentricities of engineers of -the future, as there aro buildings uo-w with floors below the footpath, through the levels having been raised, and the owners havo no redress.