Residential Thorndon has been under WCC's scrutiny for years; the examination has been driven by heritage values. Residents have offered grounded advice, noting the many other significant characteristics of the suburb that deserve focus for management i.e. critical issues like traffic, parking, community facilities, and safety concerns. (acknowledging that characteristics of our built environment are already quite well regulated.)
It's about balance. Keeping 'grounded'; in touch with reality and facts. Can the latest round of analysis of Thorndon, WCC's place-based study, reveal and integrate, once and for all, the other significant facts about residential Thorndon that need to be accounted for; adequate to enable the community to understand and agree a desirable, sustainable, resilient residential future.
Top of mind are the lessons from Lyttelton's blind fault. Will this calamity impact the profiles and options for residential Thorndon? In the bigger scheme of things, what are the appropriate weightings for heritage values and residential preservation for residents in old homes nestled beside an active fault line?
The National Business Review recently offered a view. See "Heritage be damned, safety the priority" (25 February 2011).
For the science about our fault visit
We need to recognise that just because something is old does not mean that it is heritage. We need to preserve the good but we do need to have a replacement of older unsafe buildings that have little merit. For the ones that we do preserve then the various parties seeking their preservation should contribute to the owner's expense in their preservation which should include meeting safety standards.
ReplyDeleteTony Hood
If you're going to replace the old buildings, put in a requirement to keep the new buildings in the original style of the street, externally. People can't tell if it's a new building if you make it look like the old ones and that'll the 'heritage' feel of the area.
ReplyDeleteSpeeding cars in Tinakori Road and Hobson St, dangerous traffic congestion morning and afternoon outside Queen Margaret College, lack of adequate street lighting, road potholes blocked storm water drainage sumps, strange curbing out into the road on Pipetea St (after the completion of the new building), graffiti, poor quality pavements are all issues the WCC need to deal with. WCC get your priorities in order and can the waste of money on the 'heritage study'. You have spent ratepayer money and consulted and consulted under pressure from the residents. We are sick of this lack of focus. The Christchurch earthquake has pinpointed issues concerning buildings that have not withstood a large earth quake. I would like to be able to run to the local park in an emergency without falling down a hole! If you would like me to do more to my house which is fully restored I will accept a sum of money to better earthquake proof my heritage home. I don't want more consultation. I want focused upgrades of the public amenities named above. Stop the talk WCC and work on the basics for our city and suburb.
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