Council to pay for Railway Row to be through road

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 374, 19 February 1991, Page 2

Council to pay for Railway Row to be through road

Railway Row should not become a cul-de-sac but the Council will have to pay for the extra width if it is to be a through road, the Waimarino Community Board heard at their last meeting.

The Board recommended to full council that the road be made a through road and that the council foot the $15,000 bill for the extra two metre width of seal. The board was told the Railways Corporation was willing to pay for a six metre carriage way, which is all that is necessary for a cul-de-sac, and would not pay for an extra two metres to make it an eight metre through-road carriage way. Despite being used by motorists as a through road between the Ohakune Mountain Road and Soldiers' Road, Railway Row is not a legal road, the board was told, but in fact private property belonging to Railways. For the subdivision of the Railway Land to proceed, which has been approved, the Railways need only provide a cul-de-sac, the board heard. Board memiber Bruce Thompson said he was given to believe that Railways would pay for a through road and other board members agreed,

saying they should force Railways to pay the cost of the extra width. The council officers advised that under the planning rules they were not obliged to make it a through road. Cr Ellen Gould said that Railways could have taken the houses away and not subdivided the land at all. She said the council did not want that to happen so had decided not to pressure the Railways. Mr Thompson said Railways had broken an earlier promise to provide a through road on the south side of the tracks after taking away the Upper Thames Street over-bridge. Mr Thompson moved for the recommendation that the road's throughroad status be made legal and the council pay for the extra width. The motion was carried. Footnote: During the discussion Bruce Thompson asked if Railways had an easement over the piece of land, that the council legally owns, which sits squarely on the North Island Main Trunk Line.