Parking solution for Mount Maunganui centre

Mount Maunganui downtown's Phoenix Carpark on a quiet day. Photo/file

A compromise solution has been found to allow Mount Maunganui Shopping Centre's Phoenix Carpark to temporarily retain 20 parking spaces once it was converted to a trendy urban open space.

The council's City Transformation Committee voted 6-1 to support a slimmed down version of the open space that was originally going to replace all 55 parking spaces.

Yesterday's meeting settled an issue that had dragged on for years and looked like becoming bogged down by the retailers' organisation Mount Mainstreet signalling it wanted to retain Phoenix Carpark.

However, a survey of mainstreet members revealed a split in the ranks, with equal support for each of the three options. They were to scrap the open space plan and keep the parking spots, retain 15 to 20 parking spaces, and convert all 55 to public open space.

The committee responded by agreeing to retain up to 20 car parks on the site until June 2021 after which time the area would join the rest of Phoenix Park as open space for shoppers to unwind.

Mount councillor Leanne Brown found a solution to the million dollar fish hooks in the compromise plan. Keeping 20 parking spaces would have required the council's parking division to buy back the space for $1m - pushing the division over its debt limit. It would have also meant returning $1m of development fees to the Mount-North land purchase fund which was fully spent.

The committee backed the plan to relocate 55 spaces to elsewhere in the CBD but to retain a maximum of 20 within Phoenix Park. These parking spaces would be leased at the market rate by council transportation until 2021. Revenue from the paid casual public carparks would be retained to maintain and improve the open space.

The decision meant the Mount downtown would be 20 car parking spaces better off for about three years. The 55 replacement places would be found by changes to the May St carpark, and the parking spaces along Prince Ave and Nikau Cres.

Cr Brown said the compromise ticked all the boxes because most Mount Mainstreet members wanted some open space. It would still be available for events.

Committee chairman Larry Baldock said it was similar to the Pilot Bay boardwalk in that people would come to see it as a fabulous amenity and wonder why it took so long to happen. The council was also looking at making some Mount North streets one way which would release more spaces.

Mayor Greg Brownless opposed the compromise, arguing he would be more inclined to support it if Tauranga had better public transport to the Mount. In the meantime, all the Phoenix Carpark should be retained.

He also argued that the shopping centre was within 100m of the beach which fulfilled the open space function. The project was a bit too early.

Next steps to deliver Phoenix Carpark into open space
- detailed design and consenting
- Tendering and construction
- Opened in time for the summer of 2018-19