Film Canister Controversy 1997

[The Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune, Thursday, May 22, 1997]

Illuminated film canister.
‘Sign out of character’ Shop appeals council decision . . . page 3
Inside

Sign ‘out of character’

The Hastings District Council says an illuminated film canister on the front of a Hastings photographic shop must go because it is out of character with the building facade and other signs in the area.

The one-metre high canister was erected on the facade of Elmar Fuji Image Plaza in the East Mall last month as part of a revamp of the store’s signs.

Because it was not an ordinary sign it required a resource consent, but this was declined by the council’s resource management division.

It decided that the canister detracted from the art deco facade of the 1931 building, which had been repainted in sympathetic colours with the help of a council grant three years ago.

The council was committed to enhancing the Spanish Mission theme in the central city, and the canister would contravene the district plan policy that advertising signs should not be in conflict with approved design themes.

Elmar owner Cyril Hill has challenged the decision. In a letter to the council seeking a review, he said he had the approval of fellow retailers and the building’s owner.

The matter would be considered by the council’s hearings committee today.

Photo caption – Elmar Fuji Image Plaza showing the canister in place at the right of the facade.

Fuji canister is to stay

Elmar Fuji Image Plaza is to be allowed to keep the film canister advertising sign for which the Hastings District Council had earlier refused to give a resource consent.

The council’s hearings committee yesterday upheld an appeal by Elmar owner Cyril Hill against the refusal. It decided the sign was not inconsistent with other signs in the area nor did it detract from the appearance of the East Mall.

The resource management division, which originally declined the resource consent application, had said the canister detracted from the art deco facade of the 1931 building.

Mr Hill told the committee the canister was part of a total advertising sign package required under the contract for the Fuji franchise acquired by his shop this year.

“We’re a family business and taking over the franchise came at some cost, but we didn’t want there to be another empty shop in the mall or to be a failure as a business, so we took the plunge.”

The sign had been placed in the extreme comer of the facade to minimise interference with the art deco design and had not drawn any negative comment. Mr Hill presented a petition signed by more than 50 people, including the building owner, in support of his case.

He said other art deco buildings in Hastings had much larger signs and he did not believe his sign was detrimental to the appearance of the mall.

Council development manager Mark Clews said many of the other signs had either been erected without resource consents or had existing use rights when new council policies were introduced. Cr Megan Williams said that in comparison with many of those signs, the film canister was in the least offensive position possible on the building and did not cover up any of the detail on the art deco facade.

“It’s horrendous that some of those other signs have not been approved. It makes a mockery of what we’re trying to do in this city,” she said.

Cr Norm Speers said the council had missed the bus promoting its art deco and Spanish Mission architecture.

“We’ve already ruined it by allowing some signs. It has to be all or nothing.”

Chairwoman Dinah Williams moved that Mr Hill’s appeal be upheld.

“If ever the city needed a spur to economic development it’s now. The Hills are using an empty shop and it’s likely that if we don’t allow the canister, the franchise may be in question. Any business in the East Mall just doesn’t need this hassle,” she said.

Cr Richard Jones said the need for the Sign was commercial reality and that other things along the skyline in the East Mall, such as air-conditioning units, were more intrusive.

Cr Lawrence Yule said that given all the unauthorised signs in Hastings, the committee was in no position to declined [decline] the Hills’ appeal.

23 May 1997

The Editor
Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune
Karamu Road
HASTINGS

Re: – Elmar Cannister [Canister]

Dear Sir

To have justice and fairness done is a move in the right and “Positive” direction.

“Might” is not always Right and that is the negative direction which is happening all too frequently in Hastings.

We at Elmar would appreciate the opportunity to express our gratitude for the support and loyalty given, enabling us to submit the petition required for the Hastings District Council and the hearing committee. In particular, all of the retailers of the East City Mall, Heretaunga Street East, Karamu Road. To those of you I spoke to, to all of our valued clients and in turn friends, to those who have since phoned in thank you sincerely.

The Hawkes Bay Chamber of Commerce Bryan [Bryon] Higgins, His Worship the Mayor Jeremy Dwyer, for their immediate support and positive reaction. Lastly but by no means least the hearing committee of councillors. Your unanimous support, encouraging comments and compliments on our endeavours to improve the East Mall is the positive encouragement needed in the East Mall and Hastings in general. We do not need any more of the to [too] frequent doom and gloom negativity

Yours sincerely

CYRIL A. HILL
ELMAR FUJI IMAGE PLAZA

This letter was not published but the editor replied suggested I rewrote. I did ->

Hastings
To correspondents

Cyril A. Hill, Hastings:
Your success with the Elmar canister sign shows that the system works.
We can understand your gratitude. – Editor.

At last, some common sense

Mr Editor. – it is indeed a change to have the Hastings councillors support the retailers of this town and put in place the bureaucrats that work in their ivory in the council’s resource managements department making decisions that are not consistent with the town’s visual signage and other matter that are of far more concern to the town as a whole.

The majority of retailers are striving for the betterment of Hastings and the service to the public. I wonder how some of the decision-making personnel would survive with their attitude should they ever become retailers, but then again they wont when they have a secure wage packet each week.  Thank goodness common sense still prevails and hopefully the department will be more gainfully employed without further waste of time and money.

Cyril A. Hill
Hastings