Hastings Street Replanning 1969

[Map/Street Plan]

TOMOANA RD
AVENUE RD
QUEEN STREET
HERETAUNGA ST
CHARLES ST
SOUTHLAND RD
EASTBOURNE ST
NELSON ST
LYNDON RD
KING ST
MARKET ST
RAILWAY RD
RUSSELL ST
KARAMU RD
WARREN ST
AVENUE RD
QUEEN ST
HASTINGS ST
MILLER ST
HERETAUNGA ST
EASTBOURNE ST
LYNDON RD
WILLOWPARK RD

KEY TO COLOURS

RED – Parking Meters.
BLUE – Thirty minute free parking.
YELLOW – Sixty minute free parking.

PARKING METER CHARGES:

1 – HERETAUNGA STREET: Dual Timing Meters.
3d for 30 minutes. 6d for 60 minutes.
2 – ALL OTHER METERED AREAS:
3d for 30 minutes. 6d for 60 minutes. 1/- for 120 minutes.
3 – PARKING HOURS:
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. extended to 9 p.m. on Late Shopping Night.
Saturdays, Sundays, & Public Holidays FREE.

Nelson St.

ONE WAY TRAFFIC
PROPOSED 10FT ROAD WIDENING
TO STORTFORD LODGE
PROPOSED 10FT ROAD WIDENING
CAR PARK

LEGEND
Kerb
Service lane existing – new widening
Railway
Traffic one-way
Traffic two-way
Traffic lights
Of-street Parking
Pedestrian Precinct
“Parking Streets”
King St.
WOOLWORTH’S CAR PARK (132 CARS)
COUNTY CLUB CAR PARK
ONE WAY TRAFFIC
NO ENTRY
CAR PARK
NO ENTRY
ONE WAY TRAFFIC
MARKET ST. CAR PARK (275 CARS)
MARKET ST.
BUS STOP
PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT
WOOLWORTH’S CAR PARK (? CARS)
H.B. Motor Co. Bus Depot.
Russell St.
PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT
PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS
COVERED WALKWAY
HOVE RAILWAY 10FT EAST
CAR PARK
CIVIC SQUARE
Railway Road.
N.Z.R. BUS DEPOT
Karamu Road.
CAR PARK (61 CARS)
PRIVATE CAR PARK (14)
NO ENTRY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
PROPOSED ART GALLERY & MUSEUM
Warren St.
NO ENTRY
N.Z.B.C. CAR PARK (45 CARS)
Avenue Road.
Hastings St.
Queen St.
SELF HELP CAR PARK (62 CARS)
Heretaunga St.
TO HAVELOCK NORTH
ONE WAY TRAFFIC
Eastbourne St.
Lyndon Road.

REFERENCES:
(a) Gabites & Beard Report dated Aug 1968
(b) City Engineer’s Report dated Dec. 1968
(c) Plans Nos 1168, 1280, 1282

AMENDMENTS:
Description
Initials
Date

HASTINGS CITY COUNCIL   CITY CENTRAL AREA REPLANNING – SCHEME PLAN
SCALE : 1” – 2 CHAIN
DRAWN : A.H.S.
TRACED : A.H.S.
DATE : JULY 1968
APPROVED :
E.P. FISH M.L.C.E.
CITY ENGINEER
PLAN No. 1328

This is a deputation by main street property owners some of whom are also retailers, and others interested in the development of our central business area. The deputation seeks to bring to the notice of the Council their views and recommendations regarding off street parking.

The members of this deputation have noted with considerable interest and sympathy of the Council (a) to resolve such traffic problems as do exist in the centre of Hastings and (b) to provide parking space for vehicles which require to use the services provided by property owners in the centre of the City. With respect may we say that the Council is to be commended for its exhaustive and continuing investigation into ways and means of resolving these problems, and that some of the suggestions made by the Council have not been acceptable to some owners of properties in no way detracts from the value of the Council’s investigations. These suggestions have materially assisted in focusing attention on the need for collective action and have helped to crystallise the thoughts of many people on the type of corrective action needed.

The purpose of this deputation therefore is:-
(a)   To assure the Council of its genuine appreciation of the investigations already made by the Council.
(b)   To bring before the Council the factors contained in this submission
(c)   To urge the Council to give this most important matter the priority it warrants and
(d)   To encourage the Council to consider the capital cost of providing the best form of off street parking in relation to
(1)   The absolute necessity for this public amenity
(2)   The income from parking meters
(3)   The ownership by the Council of valuable land in the centre of the City which land is certain to increase in value.

Statistics

Statistics regarding motor vehicle density both present and future will be well known to the Council. It is sufficient to say that off street parking in the business area is necessary.

Parking as Amenity

(1)   The motor car has provided the ordinary citizens with a means of personal transport of exceptional convenience. It is certain that they will continue to use it and in increasing numbers. Off street parking therefore is an amenity for the benefit of all the citizens of Hastings and differs only from such other amenities as parks, the swimming centre, the grand stand and the like in that its provision is essential to the future of Hastings as a commercial centre, and in that every citizen derives a direct and day to day advantage.

(2)   The following is quoted from the Buchanan Report. “There are absolute limits to the amount of traffic that can be accepted in towns, depending upon their size and density, but up to those limits, provided a civilized environment is to be retained or created, the level of vehicular accessibility a town can have depends on its readiness to accept and pay for the physical changes required. The choice is society’s. But it will not be sensible, or indeed for long be possible, for society to go on investing apparently unlimited sums in the purchase and running of motor vehicles without investing equivalent sums in the proper accommodation of the traffic that results. It is true that there are many other claims on material resources, but it is a weak argument to say that the needs of traffic cannot be met, seeing that it is a problem we are continuously creating by our extreme readiness to invest in motor vehicles. There seems to be an issue here which society must face, for the present the two investments are getting farther and farther apart.”

(3)   The following is from the same report “It is absolutely essential that the public authority should retain complete control of:-
(a)   the amount of parking space that is provided
(b)   it[‘s] location and
(c)   the charges that are levied.”

(4)   The expected rate of increase in motor vehicle density places a responsibility on the Council to provide off street parking.

(5)   It is known that the Council has been giving earnest consideration to the provision of off street parking. The Council is however urged to regard this matter of extreme and urgent importance. This deputation believes that parking facilities are not only an amenity but an essential service which warrants the investment of whatever monies may be required to secure the future of Hastings as a commercial centre.

Parking Priorities
(1)   Off street parking is required by the owners of private vehicles for various purposes but by far the greater number require parking for the purpose of patronising retail shops in the main shopping area.

(2)   In order to provide the type of parking which this majority of vehicle users want, off street parking areas should be as close as possible to the main retail area. It is submitted that published reports of Council thoughts on the use of railway land for instance do not meet the present requirements of the central commercial area. This land is too far removed from the commercial centre to be of use other than for the ‘all day parker” whose problems have not been considered by this deputation. In any case Hastings cannot depend on parking areas which are not only unsuitable but which are owned by another authority and therefore may cease in the future to be available – an eventuality which would greatly accentuate the problem and indeed make it at that stage almost insoluble.

(3)   If the time should come to form the main shopping area into a pedestrian precinct, parking areas adjacent to the main shopping area will form a necessary adjunct to the pedestrian precinct.

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(4)   Whatever other general car parking facilities are provided the provision of car parks adjacent to the main retail area should have first priority because:-

(a)   Comparatively unimproved land is yet available in single areas of not less than 1/2 acre.
(b)   Development by way of commercial buildings will soon preclude the use of land available now as parking areas.
(c)   Such parking areas are required by the public now. The need is immediate.
(d)   It is certain that the value of centrally situated land will increase and now is the time to secure such land.

Economy
(1)   A glance at the “soil survey” map of the Heretaunga Plains will show Hastings as the centre of the most productive land in New Zealand and it is undoubtedly the centre of some of the best sheep country in New Zealand. Every effort should be made therefore to capitalize on this factor by providing amenities which will attract to Hastings the farming community who are in need of goods and services.

(2)   Public transport will never be the means to bring this customer potential to Hastings. Regard must be had therefore for the means of transport used by the farming community i.e. the private motor car.

(3)   If (1) and (2) are correct applications, adequate parking in the heart of the shopping and commercial areas is essential if the present commercial patronage by the farming community is to be maintained, for the potential patronage to be realised and competition from other commercial centres overcome. It is reasonable to assume that, to an increasing degree, the City which provides the parking will get the business.

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(4)   The increased patronage will be to the advantage of the whole of Hastings in increased demands for the labour and services of its citizens.

(5)   Parking areas, at least until such time as parking buildings may be required, are liquid assets. Improvements can be limited to tar sealing, parking meters, and no doubt such centrally situated commercial lots would attract considerable capital appreciation over the years. From a strictly business point of view this factor is of very great significance.

Land for Parking

A survey of the south western side of Queen Street East and West and the north eastern side of Eastbourne Street East and West between Nelson Street and Hastings Street and the connecting streets, was carried out. This survey disclosed that there is sufficient land either unimproved or carrying improvements of comparatively low values available for off street parking to serve all portions of the retail area.

This deputation considers that it would be unwise at this juncture to nominate the lots but suggests that they could be discussed with the City Engineer.

Two of these sites have been selected to illustrate the financial aspects of acquisition and developments, details of which are as follows:-

COST OF BLOCK IV. 3 roods 17 perches
Estimated    £60,000

COST OF DEVELOPMENT (Including parking
meters, lighting and sealing)    13,150

COST OF BLOCK V. 2 roods 37 perches
Estimated    50,000

COST OF DEVELOPMENT 11,700
£134,850

– 6 –

COST OF 300 Car Parks   £135,000

COST per car    450

COST OF SERVICING £135,000 @ 7 1/2%   10,125

IF WE ASSUME THAT METERED AREAS IN CAR
PARKS WILL RECEIVE 25% USE, THEN REVENUE
WOULD BE PER ANNUM   £4,500

REVENUE FROM EXISTING METERS PER ANNUM   £10,500
GROSS REVENUE   £15,000

LESS DIRECT COSTS

Transport Dept. Service charge   £2,800
Repairs and maintenance   500
Estimated cost of marking metered areas   500
Replacement fund for meters   2,000   5,800
£9,200

The above figures suggest that the acquisition of parking areas would be a negligible charge on general rates.

At the end of 25 years the annual servicing charge of £10,125 would cease and the meters therefore would show a profit annually of £9,200 which could be applied to the purchase of further areas.

Even if these estimates may be considered to be not very accurate the immense advantage in the future of providing these amenities should remove any hesitancy merely on the score that no one can see into the future to discover whether the burden on rates may be more or less than estimated.

Summary
(a)   Parking lots adjacent to the main retail area are need by the public

(b)   Such parking lots could form necessary adjunct to any pedestrian precinct in the future.

(c)   The Council should control parking areas.

– 7 –

(d)   The Council should take whatever steps are necessary to secure such parking areas now, and develop them to the point where they serve existing needs, leaving for future consideration any question of providing parking buildings or the like.

(e)   The provision of such parking areas would attract business from outside Hastings for the benefit of the whole of Hastings.

(f)   Hastings is in the very advantageous position of having virtually unimproved areas of land adjacent to the main shopping area available for development as parking lots. This advantageous position will not last for long and once these areas are developed by way of expensive commercial buildings the opportunity of securing parking areas at a comparatively reasonable cost will be lost for ever, with predictable results of irreversible deterioration of the central area of Hastings.

(g)   Perfect Town Planning in all its ramifications for the centre of Hastings is probably impracticable owing to the gradual growth of the City. However if the Council were able to proceed with planning the centre of Hastings as if it were a new City there is no doubt that off street parking to service the retail area would form part of the plan and that such parking would not be some hundreds of yards from the retail area. This deputation is of the opinion that the provision of such off street parking is not, at present, impractical but that it will become so when the land now available is improved with commercial buildings.

(h)   Whatever efforts are made to plan for present traffic density and for greatly increased traffic density this deputation believes that any plans will be ineffectual unless off street parking in very close proximity to the retail area is secured.

Solution

It is suggested that the basis of the solution of traffic problems and of other matters pertaining to planning for the commercial centre of Hastings is to secure, while it is yet available, sufficient land in the blocks suggested for off street parking to service the retail area. The deputation reiterates the fact that such land is available. It offers its further assistance to this end if Council wishes to avail itself of this offer.

This deputation therefore urges the Council to give earnest consideration to this submission and to take whatever action is necessary.

SPEAKERS ORDER

(1)   RETAILERS   Mr. C. Blackmore
Mr. G. Yates

(2)   MAYOR   Mr. R. Giorgi

(3)   BEAUTIFICATION SOCIETY Dr. N. Bostock

(4)   NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN   Mrs. L. Jeffery

(5)   ARCHITECT   Mr. J. Kingsford

(6)   PROPERTY OWNERS (DEVELOPERS)   Mr. D. Moss
Mr. H. Poppelwell
Mr. R. Davis

(7)   VALUATION   Mr. J. Farrell

(8)   PROFESSIONAL GROUP   Mr. A. Wane

(9)   CHAMBER OF COMMERCE   Mr. J. Mackersey

(10)   GREATER HASTINGS   Mr. G. Kearns

(11)   TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE   Mr. H. Baird
Mr. P. Gifford

(12)   CITY ENGINEERS   Mr. R. Fish
Mr. R. Selles

QUESTION TIME

SUMMATION   Hon. Duncan MacIntyre

SUPPER

I agree with the previous speakers that the action of the Retailers Association in organizing this discussion group is to be commended and I trust that the result of this meeting will justify their efforts in arranging it.

It is obvious that with a scheme like this, if it is to be implemented at all, the land owner or landlord along with the business firms are the ones that either profit by it or pay the cost of their venture which could be a costly one. So many aspects of this are theatrical that it does call for a lot of hard thinking before venturing into the unknown, to develop a pedestrian precinct in a new area is one thing, but to convert an already built up business area into a pedestrian precinct is something quite different and calls for a lot more hard thinking on the part of everybody. When a community has been so long accustomed to freedom of movement in the area anything that restricts the freedom and regiments them into having to conform is always distasteful to a big majority and this is the aspect which I think we are in grave danger of suffering the effect of.

Quite recently the City Council were on the verge of instituting a policy of no right hand turn for traffic out of Heretaunga Street, at certain intersections but before it was implemented they changed their mind and did not proceed with it mostly because it might add to confusion and congestion of the traffic. With the introduction of one way traffic in certain streets and two way in others I can see this confusion a hundred fold and instead of encouraging shopping in the heart of Hastings it will deter many would be shoppers to seek other areas where traffic and parking is more easily coped with by them. We have got to realise that we are not dealing with a community that is willing to concentrate of the problems of following a new system of traffic, and I think it would be safe to say the average motorist is not sufficiently “with it” to be able to easily cope with these many changes, and the tedious repetition of having to drive round an extra block to get to their destination will soon deter them from bothering to persevere with the problems involved, and seek other areas

Off street parking is a partial answer to one of the problems providing they are in the immediate vicinity of the pedestrian precinct as people will not walk two or three hundred yards to get to their place of doing business particularly in bad weather, this would deter them. Overseas thinking on this problem suggests that shoppers are reluctant to walk any distance at all and in fact in a big shopping mall just out of Sydney called Roselands where they provide car parking for three thousand cars they have provided a small bus to run customers from their car to the door of the building and back again with their parcels.

If the local authorities were to concentrate more on diverting a lot of traffic that is using Heretaunga Street as a through highway on to other streets such as St. Aubyn Street and create others similar I think many of our traffic problems could be considerably relieved and if this policy was pursued in the future I think our difficulties could be eliminated for many years to come.

Some years ago it was the habit to close Heretaunga Street to all vehicle traffic on Christmas Eve and therefore create a pedestrian mall for the night but this was apparently done away with as it must have been considered that it did not benefit the shopping area sufficiently and I think altogether we have got to give a lot more hard thinking to this problem before any move is made in the direction of eliminating all vehicle traffic from the centre of our city.