A Queenstown property owner’s fighting council’s intention to take some of his land for various public works — including, potentially, the second stage of the controversial arterial project.
Pursuant to the Public Works Act 1981, the council has a designation in place over about 36 square metres on the corner of Man and Brecon Sts.
It’s part of a much larger parcel — four Man St sections and one Brecon St section — which landowner Macfarlane Investments leases to Wilson Parking NZ for an 84-bay public carpark.
Macfarlane director John Thompson’s refusing to comment on the issue.
However, his company has lodged a notice of objection which’ll be the subject of a three-day Environment Court hearing, from September 6.
Council chief executive Mike Theelen says the designation’s ‘‘a legal protection that enables us ultimately to go ahead and build the road if we get funding for it’’.
However, whether the arterial’s ever pushed through, he points out the benefits of improving the Man St/Brecon St intersection.
These include, he says a wider footpath/cycleway that’ll come down from further up Man and Thompson Sts as an extension of the trail from Fernhill.
‘‘It is actually the key route we identified to bring cyclists in from the Fernhill area into town — it’s a much nicer gradient than having to climb up the Fernhill hill.’’
Theelen says shaving off the corner will also help buses turning left from Brecon St into Man St — ‘‘we anticipate more buses up through there servicing Skyline’’.
‘‘What we also know is we get lots of people crowding and standing in there.
‘‘It’s a very narrow bit of footpath so actually taking all that land now, and securing that, has a whole lot of benefits in terms of just that whole public space through there.’’
It also links in with recent Brecon St improvements, he adds.
Theelen says once the Environment Court settles on the details of the designated area, council will discuss compensation with Thompson.
