A Tauranga City Council plan for the Masonic Park that removes the car parks is not going down well with central city business owner Ben Tuck.
Ben owns Bronco Sports which is right beside the Masonic Park.
Views of the concept plan for Masonic Park, which Bronco Sports owner Ben Tuck says is bad for business.
'The meetings that we went to about the original buses proposal right back in July 2009, we were told that the car parks were always going to be there, and I remember Stuart Crosby stating that,” says Ben.
'He said it would never be affected – that the car parks were needed there.”
Their importance to central city businesses was demonstrated when the car park was closed during construction of the toilet block, says Ben.
'They couldn't believe that even the restaurants on The Strand took a huge hit because people use those car parks 24/7. He said that they would never, never change it.
'They get a rush of blood to their head and go off half-cocked I don't know where they get their ideas from.”
Ben is taking the issue to Mainstreet and the local retailers.
Councillors Bill Grainger and Murray Guy reminded council of its promises about the car park following the presentation on the park master plan at Wednesday's council meeting.
In reply to questions about the lack of parking, Stuart Crosby replied that the city council staff planners had only done what the council asked of them.
Councillors were assured there will be no change to the present appearance of the Masonic Park for at least three years because there is no money for it.
Any political decisions will be made during the next long term community plan discussion process. It may take place during the 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan period.
Larry Baldock asked if underground parking was to be considered for the redesigned park.
'We have a plan, it looks fine, I don't see any need to do any more work at this stage,” says Larry.
'It will be at least three years before we have the funding to go further.”
The concept plan flattens out the space in two levels, connected by steps and a ramp. The first level includes the toilet block dropping via steps to a paved ‘stage' area that roughly extends to the end of the existing car parking. The present grassed area is also to be levelled with a mix of planting and paving.
The Masonic Park site was acquired by council in 1991. It provides access from the civic centre to the waterfront, and harbour views for the street front offices in the council building.
There are about 20 car parking spaces on the Willow Street end of the space, which the master plan as approved by council doesn't see being retained.
Cost estimates were not included, but will be provided for the Ten Year Plan process.
32 comments
SML
Posted on 24-03-2011 12:29 | By SML
Less parking? And steps? As a disabled person in a wheelchair, I feel thoroughly disenfrancised from the Tauranga restaurant area. Not only does one now have to travel in the rain, outside the verandahs, and put up with minimal disabled parks (which are usually taken by vehicles without mobility cards, on the premise no-one is disabled around dinnertime...), but ANOTHER car park is going and in it's place.... STEPS? Sorry, but how do I negotiate STEPS in a wheelchair??????? With Tauranga's rapidly aging and disabled population, the TCC is cutting the accessibility of the Strand businesses even further!
doff
Posted on 24-03-2011 12:34 | By dstewart
Don't worry Ben, This is only about the 12th concept plan for the Masonic Park to date and none have ever gone further than the pretty pictures
gj10
Posted on 24-03-2011 13:06 | By Ross01
unless the TCC are part of the aged and infirm ; surely they would have a plan for a gentle ramp between levels
Time to Listen
Posted on 24-03-2011 13:10 | By tabatha
It is about time someone listened to the people who are getting affected by all this who ha over parking in Town. Hamilton city central is a bit of a ghost town from what it use to be when Garden Place was parking and you will find other cities similar. A city centre is not just made up of buildings but of people. The more people the more vibrant it is. People want to travel into the area find parking that is handy. If the old TV3 parking building had been built perhaps some parking could go but at the moment the CBD needs to encourage people back in. The Strand now cafe/Restaurant alley use to be busy as was Devonport Road, Grey Street. Some may remember Friday night shopping. This use to be full on with families heading to town. Buses to the pictures and from the pictures and Victor transport timetables were adjusted to the finishing time of the pictures. If a good picture the buses could be full. Tauranga CBD needs a revitalising and people like Ben Tuck are the ones that can lead the way. Mainstreet seems to become run by a yes and no man. Early Mainstreet had the town humming but no more. Come on down town blow life into the area.
Don't trust them
Posted on 24-03-2011 13:23 | By Writerman
Don't believe all that crap about not having to debate this for three years. It sounds like a delaying tactic to me. Keep everyone quiet for a while until they have all forgotten about it and foolishly re-elected team Crosby for a third time - why anyone would have done that twice escapes me. After the way the last council behaved, how did they think this one which is substantially the same would be any different? Until we establish a reputation for punishing the bad performers at the polls this sort of stuff will continue to occur.
Retire elsewhere
Posted on 24-03-2011 13:26 | By Mr bay
Its time Tauranga stopped being a large retirement village, we are a young city lets stay young, Elderly can you please retire elsewhere, Winston has gone. Its time for the Young to take the reins. As for the Masonic park it only has a minimal amount of carparks anyway, park else where we have two perfectly good buildings and the reclamation. The walk will do you good and it will keep any close disabled parks free for those with legitimate disability.
Mr Bay
Posted on 24-03-2011 13:38 | By tabatha
A city is a total mixture of all ages not just one level. Tauranga has got the name as an old peoples place, but if you check you will find there is a big gap of young people after college years. These people need to be encouraged to stay here by giving them opportunities for higher education and following up with a job. People need money to make the town hum. No jobs, students only and the town moves slowly. I do hope MR BAY is willing to put himself where his mouth is. I have grown up in Tauranga and now semi retired and wish to see my time out here. If we had no older people the town would go to rack and ruin because they also know that a city needs mixed ages to be a true city. In the area I live I feel lucky we have young families, middle aged and older people and it is like a true community within 2 kms of the city. Most work out of the CBD and children are looking to go to Varsity in another centre.
Sell the place and reduce debt
Posted on 24-03-2011 14:32 | By al pillocksworth
Not so many years ago this section had a building on it. It was the old Masonic Hotel until Council got it. It should be sold to the highest bidder and the money used to reduce debt. Ben Tuck and anyone else could bid for it if it's so important.
Punnishment Mr Tuck?
Posted on 24-03-2011 14:55 | By cinik
I am sure that the Council would not punnish people for running against them - or would they?
AND YOU BELIEVED HIM?
Posted on 24-03-2011 16:59 | By waiknot
Come on Bill, our beloved Mayor has long had a habit of saying whats convenient at any given time, regardless of reality. Remember just before the election a proposal for a 6% rate increase was being prepared for the new councilors. The councilors I have spoken to have not and cannot get a copy of this supposed proposal.
parking
Posted on 24-03-2011 17:57 | By Glen Clova
What a joke here we have the council trying to get rid of a park in Brookfield as they don't know what to do with it, then getting rid of parks on the reclamation, where are people going to park????.Build a parking building.
Why????
Posted on 24-03-2011 17:58 | By Tony
We are Broke as a city Why would be consider this extra cost. Times have been tuff for 3 years or so now. Who oked the cost so far? We shouldnt do any thing extra that we have to borrow money for . Just look after the basics I reackon , There just seems to be a huge huge amount of money being spend around this "Council Corner and Arts Central" Do the park up and it will be prime real estate eh? Id love to know how many rate payer dollars have been spent in that area of the cbd in the last 10 years ?????
Tax payer pays for pretty pictures
Posted on 24-03-2011 19:03 | By Colleen Spiro
Unfortunately you are right dstewart. This is probabaly the 12th concept plan for this area and the 12th consultant that has been paid for it. "Money for nothing, and your drinks for free" as the song goes.
Homeless
Posted on 24-03-2011 21:05 | By dean
what they going to do with the home less
Is the Council thick?
Posted on 24-03-2011 21:49 | By KiwiSteve
Not everybody likes public transport! Less car parks in the CBD means less people will go to the CBD! If people don't go to the CBD, businesses will suffer! What is so hard to understand about that??? Come on Mayor Crosby, and other councillors, use a bit of gray matter! - It ain't that hard to work out!
THEY MUST BE MAD
Posted on 24-03-2011 23:24 | By THE PELICAN BRIEF
They don't know it of course, a case of the blind leading the blind, there is a shortage of carparks now, then when The Strand redevelopment goes ahead that will be hundreds of car pars less in the CBD, that means less people, less shoppers. It is time for a change of pills I think for the POINTY HEADS because the the obvious is not obvious ...
Ratepayers own it
Posted on 25-03-2011 08:45 | By al pillocksworth
Ratepayers bought it when it had a hotel on it. Ratepayers should now sell it and clear some of our huge debt. If shopkeepers want it for their parking, maybe they can buy it. End of story.
Biggest concern
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:02 | By Murray.Guy
The biggest concern is surely the 'perceived' loss and or lack of integrity applied to TCC processes, community agreements and outcomes. Local business owners were assured that the provision of parking would be retained in the Masonic Park, when debating the location of the Willow Street bus marshalling yard. The promise lasted ONLY as long as the project took to complete, departing on the arrival of the first bus!
Council looking through Gold Coloured Glassess
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:36 | By cinik
Over the top as usual. Give us a break please and leave it alone.
To Murray Guy
Posted on 25-03-2011 12:47 | By cinik
I wish that was a bus on a one way trip and some of the council were on that bus as well, especially the beloved leader.
Come on Murray
Posted on 25-03-2011 14:49 | By Tony
There is nothing precived here at all ..The story is either right or not right ,What are you saying here Murray The paper got it wrong??
one hand
Posted on 25-03-2011 17:43 | By Mr bay
i drove past today and seriously you can nearly count the parks in this area on one hand (ok maybe two hands), you can't tell me beacase this car park area with 20 odd parks goes Broncos will close down, seems a bit far feached to me. Surely loyal customers won't mind a bit of a walk i mean they are suppose to be outdoor people.
The council are saving our money
Posted on 25-03-2011 20:06 | By KiwiSteve
I've been thinking! The Masonic car park should go, as well as parking on the strand/reclamation. Doing this will SAVE money! The roads into and around the CBD, will require less maintainance, parking wardens won't need to be employed as people won't travel into town. Come on retailers, don't just think of yourselves, wanting to earn a living and paying your way in life. Why don't you just all take your brain out of gear, put on blinkers, and stand for council? (There are some rational thinking councillors) But some higher up, may of had one or two electric shocks too many.
WHATS THE ISSUE!!!
Posted on 25-03-2011 21:25 | By waiknot
I am not sure of the merits of the car park either way. However as pointed out by Murray Guy we should be able to trust statements made by council and the mayor.
The Real Issue
Posted on 27-03-2011 10:39 | By cinik
The Reynolds family want the area for free so they can put table and chairs there after they develop a not so valuable building into a very valuable building that fronts onto a nice park with lots of foot traffic.
cinik writes absolute claptrap,
Posted on 27-03-2011 17:52 | By Murray.Guy
"The Reynolds family want the area for free..." Absolute claptrap. The buildings adjacent Masonic Park are an eyesore and well past their useby date. The owners are preparing to take a risk and invest. It is appreciated by this Councillor that they approached TCC to better understand TCC plans for the park, that their building design and TCC plans will be compliment each other, add value to our mutual benefit.
DIRECT PATH PLANNED
Posted on 27-03-2011 19:53 | By The Master
The only purpose of this is to provide a direct path between the BOFFINS in City Hall and the WOBLLES on The Strand.
Kicking tyres as usual
Posted on 29-03-2011 19:31 | By Insider
Councillor GUY who on earth is the Reynolds Family and what is their association with or interest in TCC Masonic Park.You don't mean LADY ROSE DAIRY LIMITED the nearby developers do you? Oh and while I am at it DEPUTY MAYOR STEWART the 12 concept plans and pretty pictures you refer to would have cost Council dearly and the waste of ratepayers funds is not to be sneered at.Nothing better to do with TCC time than find ways to spend our money 3years hence. How about action on some current woes.
MIS FIRE MURRAY ...
Posted on 30-03-2011 02:01 | By The Master
Try telling that yarn to the Kauri Park people, looks liek they are about to be shafted on the deal, So what ever the deal with Reynolds they do need to be aware that sooner or later TCC is likely to build a 4 storey high carparking building there because there will be none on the Strand, there is no other options left.
PARKING BUILDING
Posted on 30-03-2011 17:41 | By THE PELICAN BRIEF
Is a great idea will solve a few parking problems and shortages around trhe place for sure, as well as that it would be handy to the Strand at night so providing a late parking safe place for vehicles. Also safe from those HORRIDE parking wardens.
ANOTHER OFFICE BLOCK
Posted on 31-03-2011 21:42 | By TERMITE
I am sure TCC would rather keep that land for yet another office to house all the officals hanging around the place.
BUILD AN OFFICE TOWER 12 STORIES HIGH
Posted on 04-04-2011 09:10 | By THE PELICAN BRIEF
That way perhaps the view will be blocked and the inhabitants of the ooffices at TCC will then be a little more porductive ... we can all dream of course
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