What's to be done about Te Puke's town centre plaza issue?

Te Puke Community Board chairman Peter Miller in front of the Te Puke main street plaza.

Status quo, level or reduce.

Those are the three options put forward for the plaza in front of Te Puke Jewellers.

As part of a review of Te Puke's main street project, Western Bay of Plenty District Council has asked Te Puke Community Board to seek the town's views on three options for the plaza: Remain as constructed, reduced in size to allow construction of two or three extra car parking spaces or a level platform on the eastern section of the plaza, either of pavers or timber.

The estimated cost of the second and third options would be $90,000 or $70,000-$100,000 respectively.

Te Puke Community Board chairman Peter Miller says once the community has had its say, the board will tell the council its preferred option.

''All we are going to end up with here is a recommendation to the [council's] operations committee. Even though we may recommend [option] 4.2 [reduction], the committee still might say no. But we need to consult - we need to be asking the community.''

Peter says he does not intend to call a public meeting on the issue.

''But we want feedback, positive and negative, on which option they would prefer.''

Peter says that while community board members appear to be favouring the option to reduce the size of the plaza, his preference was for levelling by relaying the pavers.

Commenting on a recent town centre parking review that found that there are now 520 public parking spaces in the town compared to 488 prior to the town's upgrade, he doesn't feel more spaces are required and does not want to see the disruption from the reduction in size.

''We've already agreed as a board that there are sufficient parks in the town.''

There is a box in Te Puke Library where people can drop a note with their preference, or they can comment on Te Puke Community Board's Facebook page.

Peter says he also supports the suggestion that a sculpture be placed in the plaza.

''I'd like to see us make some sort of sculpture to recognise the contribution that the kiwifruit industry has made to this town.''

He says he would like to see something that would attract people to the area, possibly a sculpture people could be photographed with.

Two-hour parking restrictions for spaces in Commerce Lane are being considered as part of the council's draft Traffic and Parking Enforcement Bylaw, out for
consultation until April 18.

If the council decides to proceed with the proposal, it will be included in the final bylaw which will come into effect at the end of September.

■ Council road staff are working with the Te Puke Community Board to modify some of the vegetation at the intersections and pedestrian crossings in the town centre to increase visibility for motorists and pedestrians. Road staff will be also be considering ideas from an independent landscape designer on options for improvements over the coming months.