Ratepayers could end up paying for extra parking in the city as developers may not have to construct car parks with each new building they make.
At present developers in Tauranga city are required to provide parking for all new buildings.
However, following discussion at the Tauranga City Council's strategy and policy committee meeting this week, where council staff agreed to answer questions from councillors about the progress of developments in Tauranga, a proposal is being put out for public consultation.
It is claimed the costs of making developers pay for parking spaces used by tenants is stifling development in the city.
If the proposal goes ahead it means ratepayers will be subsidising developments in the CBD by paying for the parking requirement, presently held by the developers.
This will go against the council's current ‘growth pays for growth policy'.
Mayor Stuart Crosby says the minimum parking requirement is one reason why a long hoped major hotel development in the CBD has never eventuated.
The on-site car parking rules in the City Plan Rules are linked to the amount of gross leasable floor area – whereby developers are required to provide three car parks for every 100sqm of leasable floor space, or pay.
The parking fees option is one third the $34,000 cost of setting up a CBD car park.
Since 2004 council has collected $307,123 in parking fees – enough to create nine parking spaces.
Terry Molloy says this low amount shows the parking fees policy doesn't really work.
'We need to test the water on some changes, I believe we will find some middle ground,” says Terry.
The parking issues paper prepared by McCormick Rankin Cagney Limited says underground parking can add $20,000-40,000 per car park to the cost of a development.
Murray Guy and Catherine Stewart voted against it, but even councillors who voted for it expressed misgivings about the change in the council's direction and the future impact it will have on ratepayers.
David Stewart fears the council is placing itself at a disadvantage in the longer term where it may be forced to fund the car parking overspill.
The argument against that is that it will result in more efficient use of existing parking.
Council traffic manager Martin Parkes says the Elizabeth Street car parking building, which has been operating for ten years, has yet to be filled passed the 50 per cent level.
Wayne Moultrie says current parking congestion in parts of Mount Maunganui is the result of a similar policy by the then Mount Maunganui Borough Council.
'Over at the Mount we provided a policy of one car park per unit, then come Christmas we got complaints because friends and family had no place to park,” says Wayne.
He supports the discussion going public.
Policy planner James Danby says the proposal moves parking from a requirement of developers into a discussion.
There was no answer from council staff to Murray Guy's question about fairness. Developers building in the other suburban centres, Papamoa, the Mount, Greerton, will still have to provide or pay for parking.
Stuart says council is restoring development opportunities lost to the CBD when the council approved the development of the suburban retail centres.
Outside the meeting Murray Guy says he understands the confidential discussions over a hotel development for the CBD were all done and dusted, and asked if it is coincidence the mayor is attributing past failures to the negative impact of parking requirements.
He says the current spare parking capacity is limited and will eventually have to be replenished. At which time Murray says it will be the ratepayers that end up paying, either through the funding of more parking buildings, or by paying for increased parking costs.
And when the hotel patrons, and possibly the university students begin to soak up the shopping carparks, he says people will take to the suburbs.
18 comments
O Goody
Posted on 29-02-2012 16:46 | By Jack the Lad
The joke continues, parking, water, Bay Park, the list goes on, why cannot we see some improvement in staffing levels, and at least the Council making some attempt to lessen ratepayer impact.
Posted on 29-02-2012 17:33 | By charob
Tauranga is turning into a city no one will want to live in soon. keep it up Tauranga city council
a good solution
Posted on 29-02-2012 17:56 | By Gee Really
If developers can't or don't want to create carparks, they should pay a decent contribution to the parking buildings required instead. Also don't even think about "free" parking. If downtown businesses want free parking for their customers, let them pay for it, the same as in the retail malls where rents are higher. Instead of virtually giving away land in Durham St for a university, Council should have sold it. That would have been a good answer to Murray Guy's question about fairness. Why is it fair for council to give away ratepayers land and not even collect development fees for that project Murray?
Parking
Posted on 29-02-2012 18:31 | By tabatha
Get workers to bike to work or bus and free up council parking at back of building and also rented parking nearby. All councillors with one exception, Tony, (but knowing him he would abide in some way) to bus or bike to daytime meetings. All keen to push use of public transport but how many use? As Jack the Lad has said here we go again. Looks like the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Time some Councillors and workers realise a lot of people in Tauranga are far from satisfied with the spending of money that is not there.
Get real
Posted on 29-02-2012 18:41 | By Accountable
Murray guy has summed up the problems within the CBD as it is now. The thinking of the present council will continue to turn shoppers and businesses away from the area.We in the CBD need positive ideas now before the CBD turns out to be a huge failure like Hamilton.Free monitored parking will bring back the customers.Less parking at higher costs will certainly be the death knell to the city centre.
IS this fair?
Posted on 29-02-2012 21:22 | By Countrygirl
Fair for all
Posted on 29-02-2012 21:28 | By Countrygirl
I have to agree with Murray on this one. Why should developers pay for parking spaces in suburban developments but not in the city CBD? If another Hotel was built in the CBD where would overnight travellers park? Where will their staff park? I can see my rates going up again (even though the value of my property has gone down)! Fair? I don't think so.
We need consistency from Cr Guy and councillors
Posted on 01-03-2012 09:02 | By Gee Really
Then why are Cr Guy and councillors proposing to give ratepayers land worth about $5million for a university development and probably not charge development fees to them either. This leaves you and I to pick up the tab once again. Question for ACCOUNTABLE - who is going to pay for your "free" parking? The reality is that "free" parking at malls is in effect paid for through tenants rents. I can see the downtown retailers screaming at that prospect.
Come clean Gee Really
Posted on 01-03-2012 09:49 | By Murray.Guy
Come clean 'Gee Really' so that we can all focus on the issues rather than your constant attempts to undermine and detract from the debate. Are you a past disgruntled Councillor, a misguided associate of one, aspirations to be a Councillor (or Mayor), or just someone in the shadows that has a grudge, hidden agenda? In regards the provision of land for the purpose of establishing a university, do some research (listen to the meeting audio, read the minutes. I applaud and support the expansion of the education sector in our city, BUT not at the cost of the home / business owner. I moved an amendment that agreed to make the land available but only if FIRSTLY every effort was made to secure payment for it, in the absence of such effort to date. My amendment was lost amid accusations of my being anti-progress and all the usual personal rhetoric. You ask is it 'fair'. Of course not, and I voted accordingly. Yes, in my opinion, this is about providing further ratepayer subsidy by stealth to the potential campus and hotel and lacks integrity.
Developers and Parking
Posted on 01-03-2012 10:40 | By Watchdog
With the list of concerns Ratepayers are having over Council enhanced spending it is truly time to suggest that the Ratepayers are revolting!
Don't attack the person, stick to the issues Cr Guy
Posted on 01-03-2012 11:14 | By Gee Really
It's a classic to attack the person rather than their argument. Did you then vote for or against the motion virtually giving the land for education? A straight yes or no please rather than saying you voted accordingly which is open to interpretation. For some reason I thought it was reported as unanimous, a bit like the unanimous $5million to Baypark. How do you rationalise your support of the $5million to Baypark with you support of a rates cap? How do you rationalise your support of ratepayers money buying Speedway? Who will pick up the bill if Baypark or Speedway fail??? Looking forward to your answers.
Gee Really
Posted on 01-03-2012 12:33 | By Accountable
The CBD has contributed over $70,000,000 to Tauranga from parking charges.This money has gone to buses,cycleways, walkways and other amenities throughout the city.Its about time the CBD got something back considering that the council has allowed places like the Mount and Greerton to continue to have free parking.We all know how Bayfair and other private shopping centres are run and that is their business which has nothing to do with the ratepayers.All the CBD is asking for is a level playing field and maybe a little bit of TLC from the council.I don't think the councillors really care about the city any more.Because of the large pay packets they now receive its more important to ignore the issues than loose their jobs.When did we last hear from Murray Guy supporting the rate payers?Where's the Murray Guy of old?
Here we go again
Posted on 01-03-2012 13:08 | By rastus
Their is absolutely no doubt that our council is slowly but surely killing the CBD and I suspect that this is a long term deliberate strategy. What you are presently seeing is the thin edge of a very big wedge. The UN via Agend 21 has laid down the principles required in order to acheive their 50 year plan - Don't believe me ? Then take the trouble to do some research and you will find that we are well on the way here in Tauranga - Smart Growth - my backside!
Troughing out time lets get the dingbats to approve it.
Posted on 01-03-2012 19:45 | By RORTSCAM
Developers only build commercial buildings to make big $dollars which is fine but they must pay for all the parking they need. It is not TCC Ratepayers responsibility to do that for them.That is the be all and end all of it. The Crosby garbage about why the major hotel with conference centre never got off the ground is in my view unmitigated Bull**** more likely TCC couldn't give them enough financial incentives. FITH
downtown retailers screaming?
Posted on 02-03-2012 14:39 | By nothingwrongwithgreen
Alot of downtown retailers actually do want to subsidize parking.... talk to a few.
Extortion
Posted on 04-03-2012 22:33 | By R1Squid
I would expect that a lot of readers of this newspaper remember when the Mayor of a borough, town or city held a full time job and simply received an honorarium as 'Mayor'. Councillors were volunteers who put their names forward for election who also had full time jobs but were paid stipends for attending meetings. Then, our land rates went to paying for things that helped the community and administrative costs. Now, most of our land rates are taken up by HUGE SALARIES awarded by our councillors on our councillors in order to make un-researched and/or inept decisions on our behalf, whether they have a mandate from their financiers (us) to do so. I am sure that most decisions made by our so-called representatives don't reflect those that they (supposedly) represent. I have never had a councillor knock on my door and asked my opinion of their performance. They are simply a name, and probably not one that I voted for in the last local body elections. I challenge all Ward Councillors. Do what you are paid for (which would be more than the average wage). Get out in to your communities and find out what the people you represent feel about your performance. Earn the exorbitant salaries, vehicle allowances, clothing allowances, meal allowances and all the other perks that my money is paying for!!
YA GOOTA WORRY ABOUT THAT
Posted on 07-03-2012 21:02 | By YOGI
The heading gives it all away, and well so do Council, someone has a moan and then COuncil throws a bit more ratepayer money at it. Developers want less building fees, less subdivision fees, free roundabouts to Tauranga's new Saweto ... or is it The Bronks? what will it be next and guarantee of rates money to pay all the bills to!
I HEARD THE OTHER DAY THAT ...
Posted on 08-03-2012 15:18 | By DRONE
Common sense belongs to the "common folk" of this world, that politicans are certianly not included in that by simple observance of the behaviour pattern once elected. All that was wrong suddenly becomes right, it is like the more votes received the less common sense remains, it must be a leeching process or something?
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