A Newmarket development raises pointed questions, reports Valerie Schuler.
Construction cones line the narrow street as men in hard hats do their work. Newmarket's Osborne St, behind the Rialto cinema centre off Broadway, is about to become a vibrant, back-lane, shopping experience.
Retailers are looking forward to the development, but a few
"It's wonderful this is happening and it will benefit retailers," she says. "But, as a ratepayer, I have to say that $1.55 million is a lot of money. They are putting in these fancy tree pits which, to me, seem like an extraordinary extravagance."
Also of concern is that Auckland City Council has removed bluestone kerbing from the Khyber Pass Rd end of Osborne St. Mrs Mousdale says she asked a council officer why the original bluestone was not being recycled and was told it was unsuitable for the area.
"They said they were using imported bluestone, instead, which is just ridiculous. The old bluestone is worth a fortune and we should be recycling it. If we want to create a back-lane feel, we need to recycle what's there. Otherwise, it will take another few hundred years to get the heritage feeling back."
As The Aucklander reported last month, bluestone kerbing is vanishing from our roadsides. As stocks of the precious volcanic basalt have run out, residents have raised concerns that the council has replaced bluestone kerbs with cheap concrete.
The council's policy is to replace like with like; streets that already have some concrete will get more in case replacements are necessary. Bluestone is stored for future use in areas whose kerbs are still mostly bluestone. Some people say the council takes advantage of this policy by taking bluestone from suburban streets and stockpiling it for future use. So what's the deal with Osborne St's bluestone kerbs?
The council says bluestone kerbing was removed when the paths were widened but that bluestone has since been put back. The street's new bluestone pavers were imported from China. "We have recycled what was there," says transport delivery manager Tim Lott, "and the only new bluestone products are the pavers."
Clinton Bowerman, deputy chairman of Hobson Community Board, says he has been keeping a close eye on the Mangere yard where the council keeps recycled bluestone. "There's an evolving pile of rubble. The bluestone comes and goes all the time. I want to know where they take it. Are they ripping it up and charging it out as a new source of bluestone?"
The council says that is not the case. The Auditor-General's report into the management of footpath contracts between 2001 and 2009 found no mismanagement. "There is nothing dodgy going on and we have nothing to hide. We look after ratepayer dollars," says Mr Lott.
The Aucklander asked to visit the depot where bluestone stocks are kept, but our request was refused. As for Mrs Mousdale's concerns about the amount of money being spent on Osborne St, Mr Lott says it is a priority on the council's list of streetscape projects.
Osborne St upgrade
Work on Osborne St began in December.
The $1.55 million project includes widened footpaths, a narrower road for better pedestrian access, plants and street furniture. There will also be parking for mobility scooters and motorscooters.
Artwork for the street is being discussed.
The work is expected to have finished at the end of April.
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