DOUBLE ROADWAY ON PARADE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 10, 5 October 1937, Page 2

DOUBLE ROADWAY ON PARADE

Petition and L^tters of Protest Discussed WORK TO PROCEED Discussion of the proposal to eonstruct a double roadway on the Marino Parade took place at the Napier Borough Council meeting last evening, when a petition and ietters of protevt against the scheme were received. At the conclusion of a long discussion, two routine recommendations in regard to tho work were passed by a majority of the counciliofs, and Ivlr. A. H. 1) Mayne, from whom the main opposition to the projeet had come, while recording his vote against the recommendations, gavo an assurance that lio would abide by the majority verdiet. This means that tho council will pro ceed with the work. First reference to the debated question .eame from a petition presented on behalf of electors by Mr E. E. Carrington. Mr Carrington said that tho petition, which carrled about 1000 names, had been signed by electors from one •cnd of Napier to the other. in very few cases had a signature been refused. I

The petition read: "We, the eioetors of Napier, view with grave coucern the reported action of your couucii in deciding to proceed with the construction of a double roadway on the Marino Parade. We desire to prote&t against this work being carried out for. the Tollowmg reasons: (1) That we object to a sum of approximately £40,000 being sp'ent before a vote of tho (ratepaycr9 is taken; (2) That wt) consider the extra roadway or portion o'f the roadway unnecessary; (3) W5 strongly protest against the money being taken from the estimate for streoti, for these Marine Parade works, before urgent repairs to existing streets, roada, and footpaths are attended to." It was agreed that the petition tm taia upon the table for one month, Protest Letters Letters were also received from the chairman and secretary of the Napier Houlh Progressive League, and the chairman of the Port Ahuriri Progre*» ssi.\o League, protesting against the destiuction of the sw.-wall and the conetriietion of a two-way road while a petition, of which the council was aware, is being circulated against th» X>roposal. The communications both registered a protest against anything further bping dono until thw wishes tw ihe ratepayers had. been ascertained, A letter from the Napier Tliirty Thousuixd Club encioyed .3, resolutioir passed by the club in regard to. the double roadway as follows:' — -"At this meeting in 1936 it wa3 m^fitioned by, the Mayor that alteration aud modification of Mr Mayno 's schemc' was necea^ary, but ample provision must be "mado for traffic. After some dlseussion it. was resoived that the council 's scheme for the roadway over the wall south of the sound shell was approved, subjecl to the council making provision for an area not less than that available south of the sound shell,' by mcreasing the width of tlic area seawards to at least compensate for that- taken for the roadway." > . -. When, .howerver, the deputy-mayor, Mr A. H. D. Mayne, attempted to convey verbally to the meeting tho resolution passed at a meeting oi' protest he had called, ho was told by the Mayor to cohvey it in writing. Mr Mayne:' If you wish to go un with the usual method of obstruction .... The Mayor: Please sit down, Mr Mayne. Mr Mayne: Very well, if you wish to obstruct The Mayor: I don't wish to ohsiruet, but we must have some order here. The report of the finance committee indicated that a verbal report by the borough engineer was to the effect that by the use of the maxiinum amount of subsidised labour the excavation of the roadway, foundation and metalling, including kerbing and channelling, but leaving the existing footpath aild road in their present condition, all as far as Albion stieeb, Could be completed for £650. An estimate that the completion of the roadway aa far as the False Teeth, half way to the borough boundary, would cost £14,000, was made by Mr. Mayne. It appearod that it would be many years before the roadway was completed, while the uncompleted portion of the roadway would be an obstruction rather than a liolp. The final result would be to ■conmitrat* traffic in a bottle neck at L'.ie suund slieli. Position In Later Ycars "I do hope that the public will have sufficient vision to conceive the position in later yeras," urged Mr. P. F. Higgins. He contended that if the work was not now completed the opportunity to compiete it without considerable expenKe would be lost. Permanent, improvements would be made to the parade. and it would be crifficult to upset thein. The completion of the Breakwater would mean considerably increased traffic along the parade in the matter of bringing produce from tho 'south. to the docks, and the existing roadway would not carry the traffic. The Mayor visualised a large incroase in the population of the town from the completion of the East Coast railway, and the Breakwater scheme, and the eottlement of the 7,500-acre block, stating that he was eonvineed that the work was vitally necessary. In addition. the huge lUcrease in tourist traffic was, and would be still further, responsible for an increase of the users of the road. At tke conclusion of the discussion Mr Mayne suggestod that there should be a motion before the council to decide ihe lssue. but the iMayor pointed out that the feeling of the meeting could ,be as fully tested by votlng upou the adoption of the reports of two committees in regard to the scheme. The votq was accordingly taken on thf action of the works' committee Is