A call from a resident to return the Mount Maunganui i-Site to its former building on Salisbury Ave has been dismissed by Tauranga City Council, which is opting to lease the site to a bakery.

Rob Paterson yesterday told councillors he opposes the proposal to lease the building to Own Firm Ltd for the purposes of establishing a boutique cakery for a term of up to five years.

The former Mount i-Site on Sailsbury Avenue.

'The current Mount i-Site siting is on a limb, well away from core market with little no public exposure and is very hard to find by locals, let alone visitors,” says Rob.

The building has sat empty for more than two years after Tourism BOP decided to shift the former i-Site to the Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mauao.

Rob also questions whether Tourism Bay of Plenty, which he understands operates i-Sites locally, was funded $800,000 from the region's councils for the work.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby says the new Mount ‘i-Site' is not an official i-Site and while TBOP did ask for the $800,000, it didn't get it.

'That was post-Rena, the council-controlled organisation for that is reporting to us tomorrow afternoon and the issue with the i-Site will be raised, as we will review TBOP in terms of delivery moving forward,” says Stuart.

Rob went onto ask if the five-year bakery lease for the former i-Site building has a right of renewal, how much is the rental; and if the bakery industry, with vermin associated and hours of operation, are suitable for the site, which he believes is primarily a residential area.

'This activity is not associated with Coronation Park, tourism, reserves or public relations – once council establishes a precedent for this sort of thing on reserves it may be like a creeping cancer.”

Rob also says parking demand near the building will become heavier with a bakery retail outlet with the bus-stop and public toilets in immediate vicinity.

'The proposal is not in character with the surrounds.”

Rob suggests as the council is yet to know the fate of the Phoenix Carpark, the i-Site building proposal should be left in abeyance 'because it could be involved in relocating Mount Mainstreet offices from the Phoenix site”.

'If that eventually comes about, then council should take steps to insist the Mount i-Site returns to Salisbury Ave and it could then operate an office in conjunction with Mount Mainstreet, as these activities are complementary.”

But councillors are mostly in support of the business chosen to lease the site from two others applicants, which applied to use the building.

TCC councillor Gail McIntosh sees the lease as a positive for a business firstly promoting itself as part of The Little Big Markets, to get a chance to utilise the old i-Site building.

'It's great for them.”

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout did ask council staff why the other two applicants weren't chosen to lease the site.

A council staff member replied that the other two applicants' proposals 'were very similar to the i-Site facility, selling tours and tourism, with a small component of food and beverages”.

'We felt the selection encourages people to stay in the reserve, as people would purchase products and enjoy the park.”

When Kelvin asked how much lease per year was offered for the site, the council staff member says applications varied form offering $120 per year up to $18,000 annually but wouldn't divulge what figure the winning applicant offered.

'Most offered targets in their applications rather than specific offers – and I can't disclose that figure.”

For this, councillors went into confidential with the chosen applicant, before moving to let the proposal go forward.

TCC councillor John Robson says it is quite an entrepreneurial endeavour taking on the building.

'I think it has a good synergy with the reserve – hopefully people will buy the products and use the reserve.”

TCC councillor Steve Morris cited 67 per cent of 220,000 cruise ship passengers use a physical walk-through i-Port to satisfy their needs for information.