Group invited to speak on Greytown library future

A group pushing to have an arts centre set up in the old Greytown library building has been issued with an invitation to speak for a second time to a full meeting of the building's owners, South Wairarapa District Council.
Council's chief executive Dr Jack Dowds yesterday confirmed the Arts, Culture and Heritage Trust -Toi Wairarapa can seek time during the public forum section of a meeting on August 5 to once again put its case. Dr Dowds denied claims by the trust, published in a news story last week, that council had chosen to remain mum on its plans for the future of the old library despite an earlier meeting and what was perceived as a promise to talk further on the proposal.
He said the trust knew full well that council had always favoured seeking a commercial tenant for the building to give ratepayers the best chance of getting a reasonable return on their investment.
Dr Dowds said whereas council may have been slow in issuing the first invitation to the trust to speak on its plans there had been no deliberate hold-up with a return meeting. Councillors had not seen the need to "engage further" until its Reserve Management Plan had been completed.
The lease of the old library has been complicated by the unusual ownership situation with the actual building being owned by council but the land under it belonging to the Department of Conservation.
Meanwhile council's quest to get a commercial tenant is pressing on with Dr Dowds having this week spoken to an interested business.
He said the onset of the recession had slowed interest in the commercial sector as far as leasing buildings was concerned but this week's enquiry had shown there were still people out there who remained interested.