Amid concerns over the loss of carparks in Queenstown’s CBD, a carpark operator’s planning a nearby 85-bay parking facility on vacant land on the Frankton Rd/Brisbane St corner.
Wilson Parking NZ Ltd, which operates several other carparks in the CBD, is about to seek a ‘limited notified’ resource consent from the local council.
The consent would be for a maximum of five years while the landowner firms up plans to develop the 2808 square metre site.
In its resource consent application, Wilson Parking suggests the carpark would mostly be used for ‘‘long-stay commuter or business parking’’, though it would also be available for ‘‘public casual’’ parking.
The proposal, it says, would ‘‘alleviate a demonstrated shortfall in local parking and support local businesses’’.
Combined with generous landscaping, including native planting, the application says the carpark would be more attractive than the rather unkempt state of the current site, which was last used to store construction equipment during the building of the nearby Ramada hotel.
Vehicle access would be via existing driveways off Frankton Rd and Brisbane St, while the carpark surface would remain the current compacted gravel.
Signage on the pay and display machine would advise patrons to keep noise down at night to avoid disturbing neighbours.
The facility — including three mobility parks, as required — would open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Wilson Parking doesn’t believe it needs to provide any lighting, due to current street lights and ambient lighting from neighbouring properties, but would put in some discreet lighting, if required to.
Two weeks ago, Mountain Scene reported former mayoress Lorraine Cooper’s concerns over the loss of carparks — possibly more than 200 — due to recent streetscaping.
‘‘Unless something is done urgently to find areas for carparking close to or in the CBD, fewer and fewer people will want to come into Queenstown,’’ she said.
