Proposed changes to Christchurch transport plan leaves developer 'gobsmacked'
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
Controversial changes to Christchurch's transport plan are back on the table and largely intact – to the ire of developers – just months after they were pulled for further consideration.
City councillors will be asked on Monday to approve a raft of changes to the multi-agency transport plan An Accessible City, many of which bear a striking similarity to those first proposed last October.
A staff report released by the Christchurch City Council on Wednesday sets out four options for the transport programme, including abandoning it altogether.
The preferred option features changes to the roll-out of the plan, including bringing forward funding for a High St upgrade from 2023 to the 2019 financial year, as recommended last October.
**READ MORE:
* Shake-up of Christchurch transport plan proposed
* Proposed shake-up of Christchurch transport plan pulled from agenda
Accelerating the programme would allow it to tie in with a $3 million tram extension on the street, between Poplar and St Asaph streets, which itself had been brought forward from 2023 to 2019.
'The logic to undertake the tram extension at the same time as the High St upgrade is to avoid digging up the road on two separate occasions,' the report said.
Developers on lower High St are far from impressed, saying the tram extension and road upgrade need to happen this year, while the street remains closed.
Among them is Richard Peebles, who has developments under way in the area – the final part of the central city still closed because of the earthquakes.
His interests include the $50m McKenzie and Willis building facade restoration and seven of the historic Duncan's Buildings that line the street frontage – due to be completed mid-2018.
'I would urge the council and councillors to please see sense and do the work when the road is closed rather than waiting for it to open and then closing it again,' Peebles said, adding he was 'gobsmacked' nothing had changed since October.
'To close the road immediately after we've finished it and all the tenants have moved in – we all know the impact of road works on business.'
Fellow developer Shaun Stockman, who has interests in the neighbouring Billens building – due for completion this month – said it was disappointing, but '2019 is better 2023'.
'People have to take into consideration that it's a street that's recovering and recovering well. Why wouldn't we do it sooner?
'It's very piecemeal and it doesn't really demonstrate support for the developers or the businesses that have put their money where their mouths are and gone back in there and done it.'
In a statement accompanying the release of the report, the council said the recommended changes were 'to ensure there is alignment between the planned projects and public and private developments happening in the central city'.
The preferred option outlined in the report also recommended the council set back funding for the two-way conversion of Salisbury and Kilmore streets from 2019 to 2022.
It said the council should continue with planned improvements to Kilmore St though, between Colombo and Durham streets, to support the reopening of the Town Hall.
Central ward councillor Deon Swiggs said the delay in funding was to accommodate the acceleration on High St, so he was disappointed that project had not been brought forward to 2018.
'If [Peebles] is going to open his buildings and have a year of disruption on that street, either he should have waited a year and we should have told him, or we should have brought it forward to coincide with the work around there.'
Swiggs said he would speak to staff to find out why the upgrade had not been budgeted for 2018, but noted there was still time to change the recommendations.
They would be discussed and voted on at a meeting of the Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee on Monday, before going to full council. A final decision on any changes would be made as part of the 2018-28 Long Term Plan process.
Other proposed changes included bringing forward the budget from 2020 to 2019 for work on Colombo St, between Bealey Ave and Kilmore St, to connect with the Papanui Parallel cycleway.
PAST CONTROVERSY
The An Accessible City plan has been contentious, with businesses and politicians criticising some of the work done to date. Government funding was cut for over a month last April after outcry from central city business leaders after works lead to narrowed streets and loss of parking.
Works on St Asaph St, completed December 2016, have been especially contentious. A $15,000 safety audit last April recommended a raft of changes to the works. In September, the council put two rework options forward for public feedback, getting more than 330 submissions. The council decided on minor changes, despite a business group lobbying for more carparks.
The issues with St Asaph St led to a hold on planned works for Victoria St, put in place in May. The council wanted to get business owners on board with the plans before they 'send diggers out in the road'. At the time, this was not expected to affect the start date of the works, scheduled to start mid-July 2017.
But six months later, the works are still on hold, and business owners are the dark on what is happening. In January, the council said they were 'confident' progress would be made in the first quarter of this year.