Waimakariri District Council providing more car parks for Mandeville retail complex

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/north-canterbury/119999438/waimakariri-district-council-providing-more-car-parks-for-mandeville-retail-complex

The success of the Waimakariri district's first rural retail complex will cost the ratepayer in extra parking.

Car parking at the Mandeville shopping complex has been at a premium because of the success of the businesses operating there.

The council last month proposed three options for increasing parking, but all three required council funding as the original parking allocation was compliant with the District Plan.

A total of 234 submissions were received, highlighting the community's level of concern with cars being parked along busy Tram Rd when the car park was full.

Of those submissions, 171 were in favour of changing the neighbouring plantation reserve to accommodate parking, while 23 were concerned about the council paying and felt the cost should lie with the retail village.

Councillor Sandra Stewart said while the council was responsible in this case because the development was compliant with the District Plan, she questioned whether the council's planning provisions were adequate.

"Are we taking this lesson into the District Plan review? We don't want to see this happen again."

Other councillors agreed more parking was required, but said the owner of the complex ought to be asked to contribute.

Cr Paul Williams urged council planners to take heed of the Mandeville situation when consenting parking at other new developments such as Ravenswood.

"I would hate to see council having to fork out for parking for other retail complexes," he said.

Mayor Dan Gordon said parking issues would be picked up during a review of the District Plan. 

He put the Mandeville parking issues down to the success of the growing rural community.

Cr Nicky Anderson agreed, saying it was a "wonderful problem to have".

"If all our CBDs were this full of people we'd be jumping for joy."

The reserve northwest of the shopping complex will be used for the extra parking, with an entrance and exit off Mandeville Rd.

This will require a Reserves Act designation change, from a plantation reserve to a community reserve, and will provide another 42 parking spaces.