TOWN PLANNING

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 97, 27 November 1953, Page 5

TOWN PLANNING

REQUESTS TO COUNCIL Three matters in connection with the Town Planning Scheme before the Taupo Borough Council at its meeting on Wednesday, November 18th. A letter fr»m Mrs Ada Fletcher was coneerned with the fact that sections owned by her at the corn- j er of Tonga Street and Waiariki Road (Spa Road) were excluded from a shopping centre under the Town Planning scheme. It was resolved by the Works Committee that Mrs Fletcher be informed that her objection would be referred to the Town Planning Board at the appropriate time, this being approved by the Council.

Procedure re Objections It was explalned by the Mayor, in connection with the Town Planning scheme, that it was expected that it would come before the Town Planning Board in Wellington for provisional approval on Novem'ber 24. Following that the scheme would be advertised and the plan would be open for inspection for three months, during which objections could be lodged for hearing by the Appeal Board. I Now that the plan was with the Board in Wellington no further alterations could be made in it ex- I eept following the three months period mentioned.

A letter from Messrs. Patience and Gabites, the Council's planning consultants, referring to a request by Mr M. L. Svensen re alteration of service lanes affecting his property In Heuheu Street, said that the request was a reasonable one and offered certain advantages over the layout shown in the scheme. The principal object of service lanes was to provide rear access to the greatest possible number of commercial properties in the most convenient and satisfactory way. In this case it would be desirable to consult with all owners affected. The Council decided to take no action until the matter was discussed with the consultants.

Garage in Heuheu Street. At its October meeting the Council referred to Messrs. Patience and Gabites a request by Messrs E. F. Gradwell and R. M. McLeod for permission to erect a building in Heuheu Street in the commercial area, to be used as a garage, on condition that the applicants entered into a bond to remove the garage business in say ten years. Reporting to last week's meeting of the Council on this Messrs. Patience and Gabites wrote stating: — "We have considered thq implications of permitting a garage to

be buiit on this site from a strictly town planning viewpoint, and it seems that the question of whether the building is to be established permanently or for a ten year period is of secondary importance. The important point is, we think, that the building will have an effect on neighbouring properties from the time it is built and, as the business area is developing rapidly, this effect should first be considered.

"From a study of the main commercial area it seems clear that the most valuable shopping frontage will develop on Tongariro Street between Tamamutu and Tuwharetoa Streets, and then eastward for some distance down Horomatangi. and Heuheu Streets rather than over the full length of Tongariro Street. This will come about as a result of the existing concentration of good shops in the area and from the fact that the new hotel in the south and garages in the north will cause a break in the continuity of shopping frontages on the main street. From the shopkeeper's point of view a maxi-

mum continuity in shop frontages is essential to give a concentration I of pedestrian traffic, as the public I will always tend to' concentrate in an area where the greatest number of shopping needs can be met I within convenient walking dis- ' tance. "The Town Plan recognises this necessity and for this reason those types of business and service industry which would cause a break

in the continuity are excluded as far as possible from the shopping zone. Development of the main shopping area in Taupo is at present in a formative stage and new developments within the next year or so or even the next few months may determine the future pattern for the next twenty-five years. The importance of providing under the planning scheme for a maximum of continuous shopping frontage in the two blocks between Tamamutu and Heuheu Streets will be appreciated, and the two new pedestrian shopping streets are proposed with this in view. "Mr Gradweil's property in Heuheu Street is situated in a key position in the whole block in that the success of the block for shopping will largely depend upon the

use to which this section is put The erection of a garage on this site, even if it were to function as such for a period of say ten years only, would deter other property owners in the street from developing with shops and first floor offices beyond the adjoining Lot 8, and would prevent the formation of the new pedestrian street and the subdivision of shop sites on to it. Thus something like 600 feet of potential shop frontage in the most concentrated part of the business area would be lost to the town.

"This in our opinion is the chief disadvantage of the solution to the problem suggested by Mr Bisson (solicitor for Messrs. Gradwell and McLeod), and it would not appear to be feasible to provide space for shops round the perimeter of the site and still leave an area large enough for a garage building with its necessary operating space. It is questionable, too, whether a garage building once erected could be satisfactorily converted for shopping purposes at a later date. "Under these circumstances we consider that your Council's original decision in the matter was a sound *one from the town planning point of view, and that the most satisfactory course would be to have the matter decided on appeal." On the recommendation of the Works Committee, the Council decided to forward a copy of the consultant's letter to Messrs. Gradwell and McLeod's solicitors.