Editorial: Perfect time to shape heart of our city

Eat Streat, Rotorua.

There is a lot to consider in the Inner City Revitalisation discussion document released for public feedback last week.

The CBD has long been a talking point in Rotorua, more so since the growth of shopping options on the fringes of the central city and in the suburbs.

Now, with the council taking feedback on the future of the area, it's your opportunity to have input on the shape of this key facet of our city.

What do you think of the centre of town?

Among many other points, the discussion document notes there is confusion about what is our main street, and says Tutanekai St must be our main shopping street or High Street.

It states: "The Tutanekai St spine is severed in many places as well as being difficult to access".

True, if you travel down the street from Amohau St to the Lakefront you come across the City Focus, the Arawa St traffic island and then Eat Streat.

And that's walking. Because you cannot drive more than a few blocks without having to turn.

The clear answer, and one that's already been looked at this year, is to rethink the City Focus. Should it be opened to traffic?

Or is the real question "should the shops right in the heart of the city be easier to access?"

Of course one aspect of access to shops is the ability to park nearby.

Ironically the section of Tutanekai St where the council's Ideas Store is located can be one of the most notoriously difficult spots to get a park.

There are usually plenty of parks in Hinemoa St around the corner, but judging by the numbers of double-parked cars waiting for a space, a lot of motorists prefer to park right outside the shop they're going to.

So accessibility and parking are just two of the many issues the powers that be will consider in the coming months.

Make sure you have your say at the store or at the council's website.