Confusion in Grafton

Despite years of battles, residents may have to kiss another slice of heritage goodbye. Sean Gillespie tries to get some answers on the future of one historical building.
Park Rd's historic Bentley Buildings have just had a big spruce-up. There's a shiny new roof, improved drainage and a dapper paint job.
You could be forgiven for thinking its owner, the Samson Corporation, has shelved its unpopular plan to demolish the 80-year-old building.
It hasn't. Samson boss Marco Creemers told The Aucklander his company planned to demolish the buildings - housing a set of shops opposite Auckland City Hospital - in the "near future".
None of the Bentley tenants we spoke to, or people lobbying against the demolition, had heard it was going to happen. In fact, Auckland City Council has yet to be asked for the consent required to demolish it or to approve plans for any developments on the site.
Confused? So are Christiane Pracht and her husband, Peter Onneweer, who've campaigned for four years to save the building.
"It seems absurd that anyone would consider demolishing buildings before they had an approved proposal to replace them and even more absurd that there is nothing legally to stop them," says Mr Onneweer.
Last year, the couple were among 20 Grafton residents who lobbied the council to quash the owner's plans to replace the ageing Bentley with a six-storey hotel. Coupled with the recent makeover, this gave them hope the buildings were safe.
So the news is a disappointment.
Samson - known for its award-winning Ironbank building on K Rd - declined a phone interview with me but Mr Creemers answered some of my questions via email.
He confirms an intention to demolish the buildings soon but will not comment on plans for the land or why the company recently dropped an Environment Court appeal on the ruling against the proposed hotel development.
Mr Onneweer is suspicious. "The fact they don't want to open up any plans they may have to public debate suggests they have something to hide.
"There are rights other than property rights and the local community deserves a say in the future of these buildings, which are at the heart of our local shopping centre and some of the very few pre-war buildings left in Park Rd."
He says the people of the neighbourhood are not opposed to modernisation, they just want to preserve a piece of the area's history.
"They're part of the soul of Grafton. We can't replace them.
"We don't want them to go and just to be replaced with another concrete box."
"I don't think that is modernisation, I think it's vandalism. You just have to look at the hospital and medical school if you're looking for examples."
Final countdown
1931 Bentley Buildings built
2004 Samson Corp buys buildings
Mid-2006 Samson announces plans to demolish, build six-storey hotel
2007 Samson applies for resource consent
Aug 2009 Auckland City Council planners recommend resource consent for the project but councillors refuse
Sep 2009 Samson  appeals decision in Environment Court
Feb 2010 Samson withdraws appeal
June 2010 Samson tells The Aucklander it will demolish building in near future