FOOTPATHS IN BUSINESS AREA STREETS

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 129, 16 July 1954, Page 1

FOOTPATHS IN BUSINESS AREA STREETS

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL At the Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, July 7, there was a discussion on footpaths in the business area, which arose from a petition to the Council from shop keepers in Roberts Street. The petition dealt with the need for better lighting in the street and for verandah lighting, and ref erred to the need for sealing the footpath in Roberts Street as urgent. It was stated by the Mayor, Mr J. E. Story, that arrangements were already Under way with regard to installing further street lights, including one of the mercury vapour lights.

Speaking on the petition, Cr C. S. Currie said the sealing of the footpath was urgently needed. It was slushy in winter and dusty in summer. He was not advocating the sealing of the Roberts Street footpath only, but also that of the Tongariro Street footpath, where a considerable length of the northern half was unsealed. This had been discussed by the Council oefore and he had at that time understood that the sealing of Tongariro Street was to be done by the Council. He thought it would be too expensive to do all the footpaths in concrete where there were no shops. He would hate to think that they had to put up with the dusty footpaths indefinitely. Cr C. J. Vedder considered they should concrete footpaths in Roberts Street where there were shops, as the shops were exposed to the prevailing wind and the dust blowing into the shops, including food shops, was a health menace.

Cr K. E. Young suggested that if the owners of shops wanted the paths sealed they should get together and decide what they wanted and then meet the Council to go into it. Cr Currie asked whether they could have an estimate of the costs to tar-sealing per square yard. The Town Clerk, Mr S. Torepe, read a section of the Municipal Corporations Act providing that a Council might charge owners up to half the cost of laying down footpaths. Cr Currie pointed out that the Act said "may," not "must." Cr Vedder said he did not think they should consider tar sealing, they should concrete footpaths. The Mayor suggested that Cr Currie should approach the people in the Roberts Street area and see what their views were. Cr Currie said that a programme of sealing in the business area was wanted.