Street seating fires up parking debate
Pooja Oza has resorted to standing outside her dairy jotting down number plates, sometimes even leaving notes on overstayers’ windows.
Parking dilemmas are nothing new for Morrinsville’s main street, but since the removal of four car parks for two street-side seating areas, she said, businesses nearby have had to resort to drastic measures to hold onto their loyal customers.
‘‘About six businesses and several of their customers want the seats gone because we have no parking ... my business has been affected tremendously,’’ said Oza, who owns the Morrinsville Minimart.
The street-side seating areas – Matamata-Piako District Council is calling Business Bubbles – were installed two weeks ago, taking out four car park bays towards the end of Thames Street.
The Transport Agency’s innovating streets fund granted $87,400 towards the project with council contributing $8740.
The seats were intended to be the start of more dining area opportunities for the district, but locals have quickly taken to social media against the idea.
While it’s only a loss of four car parks, Oza said, Morrinsville already has people ignoring the courtesy car park limits and losing extra car parks has escalated the problem.
‘‘I have been told by several regular customers that they might have to stop coming to my shop because they can’t get a car park.’’
Worn Recycle Clothing owner Karyn Dench’s biggest gripe, however, is that no-one uses the seats.
‘‘While we know it’s not aimed for just Redoubt and Loxy&Co it will certainly benefit them more than everyone else,’’ Dench said.
‘‘People will more than happily park up and walk to spend hours dining at cafe´ s and restaurants, but stores like mine they won’t come unless there’s a park nearby.’’
Matamata-Piako Mayor Ash Tanner said ‘‘it’s a bit of a shame’’ that the community hasn’t supported the project.
‘‘NZTA had funding available for town centres, pedestrian friendly areas being set up, so we put in funding for it – and why wouldn’t you?
‘‘We’ve got the Morrinsville Streetscape coming up shortly, and we thought we’d go for this and see if we can get something.
‘‘Social media has gone rampant on it though, but it is a trial at the end of the day, so they can be moved. It’s just a pity people aren’t keen to give it a shot.’’
Deputy mayor Neil Goodger said he has been talking to business owners and is aware that a lot of the issues are not about the bubbles themselves, but parking.
Unfortunately there is no straight forward parking fix, he said.
‘‘The surveys that council has done tells us that there is enough parking,’’ Goodger said.
‘‘It’s more about who is using them, and do we want to encourage people to park elsewhere or do we need to enforce people to park elsewhere.’’